Jacob Kiplimo’s world half marathon record in Barcelona wasn’t just a record—it was a statement.
The 24-year-old Ugandan runner didn’t just break the record; he obliterated it. With a stunning 56:42, Kiplimo became the first man ever to dip under the 57-minute barrier, smashing the previous record by an eye-watering 48 seconds.
And that’s not just any ordinary improvement—this is the biggest jump in the men’s world half marathon record, ever.
To put it in perspective: most world records, when they’re broken, tend to go down by a second or two, maybe a few tenths of a second.
But 48 seconds? That’s the kind of leap you usually see in a race that’s still a few years off, not one that happens overnight.
It wasn’t even pre-planned as a record attempt. In fact, there was barely any chatter about Kiplimo going for the world record before the race—yet, from the gun, it was clear that Kiplimo had something special in mind.
Kiplimo averaged 2:41 per kilometer, which is faster than most people can run a 5K (or even just a single kilometer), and by the time he passed the 5K mark in 13:34, it was clear that he was already on world record pace. By 10K, he was ahead of it, and by 15K, he set a new world best of 40:07.
With each step, it became more and more obvious that barring some kind of major disaster, Kiplimo was about to do something truly extraordinary.
And sure enough, Kiplimo finished in 56:42, leaving the competition—Kenya’s Geoffrey Kamworor (58:44) and Samuel Mailu (59:40)—in his wake.
It was a Beamonesque performance, a term that gets thrown around a lot but truly applies here.
The most exciting thing however—Kiplimo isn’t done yet.
In fact, we might have just witnessed a preview of what’s to come, because he’s already gearing up for something even more exciting: his marathon debut at the London Marathon on April 27.
Kiplimo is now stepping up to take on the full 26.2 miles, and if you’ve seen how he races, you know that this could be something special.
What makes this transition to the marathon especially intriguing is how much Kiplimo’s style seems to suit the longer distance.
In Barcelona, he demonstrated perfect pacing, speed, and consistency. His ability to pick up the pace over the course of the race suggests that he might have the tools to handle the marathon’s grueling demands.
And, of course, there’s the undeniable potential—could Kiplimo be the one to officially break the 2-hour marathon barrier?
Eliud Kipchoge’s iconic 1:59:40 in Vienna was a historic moment, but it wasn’t an official race. If Kiplimo brings the same level of execution and strategy to the marathon that he showed in Barcelona, a sub-2 marathon might not be so far-fetched.
Of course, marathon debuts are tough, and a sub-2 marathon is a massive challenge. But Kiplimo has already shown he’s capable of doing the unexpected.
For now, Kiplimo’s world half marathon record stands tall. But in the back of our minds, we’re all wondering: Could his marathon debut turn into another historic moment?
Whether or not he breaks any records, it’s guaranteed to be a race that will have us all watching closely. And who knows—maybe we’re witnessing the rise of a new marathon legend.
