Half-marathon Record

The Half-marathon: A hybrid distance, between pure speed and controlled endurance

The half-marathon is a peculiar balance. On one hand, you have to sustain an intense pace for over an hour, or two for the average person 🏃. On the other, this race demands a precise pace management so as not to drift into an overly intense effort zone 🥵. It's no wonder this distance has become a real playground for elite athletes, in pursuit of ever more incredible records 🤯. On the road, the best specialists in the 15 km and 20 km can fully express their potential 🚀. But the half-marathon is an event where many different profiles can shine ✨. The stars of the 10,000 m and 5,000 m track bring their speed to maintain relentless paces, while the best marathon runners use their immense resilience to keep the pace over the 21.0975 km 📏. Long overshadowed by the marathon 🌒, the half-marathon has carved out a unique place in the hearts of runners. It requires a metronomic discipline, precise race management 🧭, and a steely mind to avoid faltering in the final kilometers, where the legs burn and the finish line still feels far away 🏁.

The origins of the half-marathon: a modern creation

Unlike the marathon, whose roots reach back to ancient Greece 🇬🇷, the half-marathon is a relatively recent invention. Officially recognized by World Athletics, it only appeared late in major international competitions 🏆. No heroic legend this time, just the desire to create an intermediate format, more accessible, but no less demanding 💪. It was especially from the 1980s that the distance began to democratize. It appeals to both runners transitioning to the marathon and track runners in conversion 🔁. And with the rise of popular races, the half quickly became one of the most run distances in the world.

Half-marathon world records: the staggering numbers

Jacob Kiplimo sets his mark in the capital Portuguese

Sunday, March 8, 2026, will remain a landmark date in the history of running. On that day, in the streets of Lisbon 🇵🇹, Jacob Kiplimo delivered an exceptional performance, worthy of the greatest moments in road running. From the first kilometers, he took charge of the race without hesitation. Supported by a dense crowd and boosted by perfect conditions (11°C, overcast, no wind) 🌥️, Kiplimo maintained his effort with stunning regularity 🧊. He eventually crossed the line in 57 minutes and 20 seconds, averaging 2’43/km. At 25, Jacob Kiplimo regains the record he previously held from 2021 to 2024 👑, proving that he remains the undisputed master of the half-marathon. The athlete erases his invalidated record at the Barcelona Half-marathon the previous year 🤓.

The legacy of distance masters

Before Kiplimo, other running giants had already marked the history of the half-marathon. In 1993, Kenyan Moses Tanui entered the legend by becoming the first man to break the symbolic one-hour barrier, with a time of 59’47 in the streets of Milan 🇮🇹. Since then, this mythical distance of 21.0975 km has become the favorite playground for runners from the high plateaus of East Africa. The track record speaks for itself: among the 100 best performers in history, 97 come from Kenya, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Uganda, or Burundi 🌍. It is they who, race after race, push the limits of possibility 🚀. We particularly remember Paul Tergat, a legend from Kenya 🇰🇪, who held the world record in 1998 with a time of 59’17. Then came other phenomena: Zersenay Tadesse (Eritrea, 58’23), Geoffrey Kamworor (Kenya, 58’01), or even Kibiwott Kandie, with an impressive 57’32 in 2020. In this universe overwhelmingly dominated by Africans from the high plateaus, a European exception persists: the European record of Julien Wanders, established in 2019 🇨🇭. With his 59’13, the Franco-Swiss remains the fastest European athlete over the distance 🌟. With his Barcelona display, Jacob Kiplimo fully fits into this lineage of exceptional athletes, once again redefining what it means to run fast… very fast.

Letesenbet Gidey: the art of running fast

On October 24, 2021, on the ultra-fast track of Valencia, self-proclaimed Ciudad del Running, Letesenbet Gidey made a significant impact in her very first appearance in a half-marathon. The Ethiopian, already holding the world records for 5000 m (14'06) and 10,000 m (29'01) 🥇, added a new prestigious line to her track record by shattering the world record with a stratospheric time of 1h02’52 (2'59/km).

On the same Spanish soil where she had shone a year earlier on track, Gidey this time left her mark on the road, erasing by 70 seconds the previous record held by Ruth Chepngetich (1h04’02). At just 23 years old, she thus becomes the first woman to officially break the 64 and 63-minute barriers in half-marathon 💥. An all the more impressive performance as she was a novice at this distance, a first in the history of world records 📖.

Perfectly paced in the first kilometers by her compatriot Mebrahtu Kiros 🇪🇹, her split times were remarkable: she passed 5 km in 15’00, then 10 km in 29’45. Despite a slight drop in pace in the final kilometers, the job was already well underway ✅. She even completed the 15 km in 44’29, barely nine seconds above her own world record for that distance 💫.

Her victory in Valencia leaves no room for doubt: Gidey is not only an exceptional track runner, but she is now an unavoidable reference on the road. This new world record, her third, confirms her meteoric rise and catapults her among the greatest in the sport. On the distance, European athletes are not left behind. Dutch athlete Sifan Hassan 🇳🇱 achieved a remarkable time of 1h05'15 at Copenhagen in 2018. Dominant from 1500 m to the marathon, she remains the fastest European athlete over 21.0975 km.

By breaking the mythical 2h10 marathon barrier, Ruth Chepngetich 🇰🇪 confirmed that, among women too, the boundaries of performance continue to be pushed back 🚀. The women's marathon record fell two years in a row, in 2023 then in 2024 in Chicago. Everything suggests that 2025 could well mark a turning point also in the half-marathon, whose world record has stood since 2021 ⏳.

In Valencia, on October 27, 2024, several athletes attempted to break Gidey's mark. Kenyan Agnes Jebet Ngetich came very close, falling short by only 14 seconds with an impressive time of 1h03'04 🥈. Just behind, in the same race, Ethiopian Fotyen Tesfay (1h03'21) and Kenyan Lilian Kasait Rengeruk (1h03'32) signed the 3rd and 4th best performances in history over the distance 🥉. The density is there, and it keeps growing. And never has Gidey's record seemed so close to falling. It's the entire women's sport that is elevated 🙌.

The fastest courses in the world

If records are falling, it is no accident. Some courses are designed for that: ultra-flat, wind-protected, few turns, long straight stretches, pace-setters provided, and ideal weather.

Valencia, in Spain 🇪🇸, stands out as the absolute reference. In just a few years, the city has become the paradise for breaking records. Its half-marathon, held in October and part of the prestigious SuperHalfs circuit, offers perfect conditions: cool temperature, fast course, and an elite field of rare density. It is here that thousands of amateur runners break their personal records each year, and the race has already seen 5 world records fall on its course.

Lisbon, too, checks all the boxes: fast course with a start on the heights of the 25 de Abril Bridge, gradual descent, seaside finish, and mild weather. It was here that Jacob Kiplimo set a world record in 2021 (57'31), which he improved in 2026 by crossing the line in 57'20". Like Valencia, the race is part of the very exclusive SuperHalfs 🥇.

Barcelona, capital of the Spanish region of Catalonia, is also an event that increasingly attracts runners in search of a fast course. Its flat course in the heart of the city offers an ideal setting for performance. The Gold World Athletics label that the organizer holds reflects the quality of this major race in the running calendar 📅. It is here that Jacob Kiplimo, once again, set a new world record on February 16, 2025 (56'42) 🔥.

Copenhagen 🇩🇰, New Delhi 🇮🇳, Prague 🇨🇿, Seville 🇪🇸, and Berlin 🇩🇪 are also part of the ultra-fast classic half-marathons where records have already fallen.

The Half-marathon: The Compulsory Passage

Today, the half-marathon is no longer merely a stepping stone to the marathon. It is a discipline in its own right, with its own codes, well-rehearsed tactics, and athletes who have made it their preferred terrain. Jacob Kiplimo, by delivering an outstanding performance in Lisbon, has established himself as the absolute reference for men. Among women, Letesenbet Gidey's record still stands, but it is no longer out of reach. With new talents emerging each year 🌱, there is no doubt that others will soon attempt to push the limits of possibility even further.