Kejelcha reclaims half marathon world record in 56:51

Ethiopia’s Yomif Kejelcha reclaimed the men’s world half marathon record on Sunday, August 23, 2026, with a stunning time of 56 minutes and 51 seconds at the Media Maratón Ciudad de Buenos Aires. The performance, achieved on a World Athletics Label road race course in the Argentine capital, shatters the previous mark by 29 seconds.

Kejelcha’s effort improves upon the yet-to-be-ratified record of 57:20 set by Uganda’s Jacob Kiplimo in Lisbon in March. The Ethiopian had previously held the world record of 57:30 set in Valencia in October 2024, before Kiplimo lowered it. Kiplimo had also registered a faster time of 56:42 in February 2025, but that performance was not ratified by World Athletics due to race conditions involving pacing assistance from a vehicle.

The victory in Buenos Aires means Kejelcha is now the official record holder at both the half marathon and marathon distances. In April, the 29-year-old became only the second man in history to officially break the two-hour marathon barrier, finishing the London Marathon in 1:59:41. His compatriot Fotyen Tesfay dominated the women’s race in Buenos Aires, crossing the finish line in 1:03:57.

Kejelcha’s record-breaking run was a...