Yomif Kejelcha breaks half marathon world record with 56:51 in Buenos Aires
Ethiopian runner Yomif Kejelcha took 29 seconds off Jacob Kiplimo's mark at a World Athletics Label race in Argentina, while Fotyen Tesfay won the women's event in 1:03:57.
New world mark in Buenos Aires
Ethiopian long-distance runner Yomif Kejelcha reclaimed the men's half marathon world record on Sunday, 23 August 2026, at a World Athletics Label road race staged in Buenos Aires, Argentina. The 29-year-old athlete completed the event in 56 minutes and 51 seconds, a time that remains subject to official ratification by the sport's global governing body. Kejelcha maintained an average pace of 22.27 km/h across the course in the Argentine capital. The performance establishes the first instance in the sport where a runner has officially broken the 57-minute threshold over the half marathon distance. By running 56:51, Kejelcha reduced the existing world record by 29 seconds.
Record exchanges between Kejelcha and Kiplimo
The victory in Argentina represents the second time in Kejelcha's career that he has captured the world half marathon record. The Ethiopian first secured the record in October 2024 at a race in Valencia, where he posted a finishing time of 57 minutes and 30 seconds. Kejelcha held that mark until 8 March 2026, when Jacob Kiplimo of Uganda completed the Lisbon Half Marathon in 57 minutes and 20 seconds. Kiplimo had previously run a time of 56 minutes and 42 seconds in Barcelona in 2025, but that performance was not eligible for official world record status because the event conditions did not comply with World Athletics regulations. With his 56:51 mark in Buenos Aires, Kejelcha surpassed Kiplimo's official Lisbon time by 29 seconds and regained the world standard he had lost earlier in the year.
- Yomif Kejelcha runs 57:30 in Valencia to set the world record
- Jacob Kiplimo clocks 57:20 in Lisbon to take the world record
- Yomif Kejelcha records 56:51 in Buenos Aires to reclaim the world record
Track pedigree and sub-two-hour marathon performance
Kejelcha's road record in Argentina adds to a competitive resume that spans international track championships and marathon running. On the track, the Ethiopian runner won a silver medal in the men's 10,000 meters at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo, finishing behind French gold medallist Jimmy Gressier. Kejelcha also holds the standing world record in the men's 10,000-meter road event. Earlier in 2026, Kejelcha competed over the full marathon distance at the London Marathon in April. Kenya's Sebastian Sawe won the London race with a time of 1 hour, 59 minutes, and 30 seconds. Kejelcha placed second in London, finishing 11 seconds behind Sawe and becoming one of the first athletes to complete a marathon in under two hours under record-eligible competition rules.
Ethiopian double victory in Buenos Aires
Ethiopian athletes took first place in both the men's and women's divisions at the Buenos Aires competition on Sunday. In the women's half marathon, Fotyen Tesfay of Ethiopia won the title with a finishing time of 1 hour, 3 minutes, and 57 seconds (1:03:57). Her performance completed an Ethiopian sweep of the senior titles in the Argentine capital, alongside Kejelcha's winning run in the men's race.
