Kejelcha breaks half marathon world record in Buenos Aires

Ethiopian athlete Yomif Kejelcha has shattered the world record for the half marathon, achieving a stunning time of 56 minutes and 51 seconds at the Buenos Aires race. This remarkable performance on Sunday eclipses the previous record of 57:20, which was held by Uganda's Jakob Kiplimo since March in Lisbon.

Kejelcha's achievement marks his return to the top of the half marathon rankings. Notably, his 56:51 performance makes him the first athlete to officially break the 57-minute barrier under World Athletics regulations. While Kiplimo had previously recorded 56:42 in Barcelona, that time could not be homologated due to technical course conditions.

This latest record adds to Kejelcha's impressive 2026 season. Earlier in the year, on April 26, he finished second in the London Marathon with a time of 1 hour, 59 minutes, and 41 seconds, becoming the second-fastest athlete ever in the marathon distance. In the women's category at the Buenos Aires event, Ethiopia's Fotyen Tesfay claimed victory with a time of 1 hour, 3 minutes, and 57 seconds.