Ethiopia's Yomif Kejelcha set a new world half‑marathon standard on Sunday in Buenos Aires, clocking 56 minutes 51 seconds at the Media Maratón Ciudad de Buenos Aires, a World Athletics Label road race. The performance eclipsed the 57:20 mark posted by Uganda’s Jacob Kiplimo in March and restores a world record Kejelcha first held after his 57:30 run in Valencia last October.
How the race unfolded
Racing in cool conditions — about 6°C at the start with a light breeze — Kejelcha ran with two designated pacemakers from the opening kilometres. Kenya’s Brian Kipmwetich Kipkore and Uganda’s Dillon Kipyeko pushed the early tempo while Kejelcha conserved energy and monitored his splits.
Pacemaking produced brisk early sections: the 5km mark came in about 13:45, then 10km in 27:19. Kejelcha accelerated through the second half of the race, covering the 10km–15km segment in approximately 13:22, which left him around 40:41 at 15km. A strong last 5km, helped by a following wind on part of the course, brought him to the 20km point in 54:04, and he finished strongly to post 56:51.
| Split | Time |
|---|---|
| 5 km | 13:45 |
| 10 km | 27:19 |
| 15 km | 40:41 |
| 20 km | 54:04 |
| Finish (21.0975 km) | 56:51 |
Context and the record landscape
The new time trims 29 seconds from Kiplimo’s 57:20 set in Lisbon in March. That earlier mark is currently pending ratification by the sport’s governing body. Last year Kiplimo recorded a faster 56:42 in Barcelona, but that performance was ineligible for ratification owing to course and event conditions not meeting World Athletics rules.
Kejelcha, 29, had already made headlines this year with an exceptional marathon debut in London — a run that made him the fastest debutant at that distance. His half‑marathon record in Buenos Aires confirms his rapid form across road distances and reopens discussion about the boundaries of pacing, course suitability and the record approval process.
Implications and uncertainties
This result strengthens Ethiopia’s presence in elite road racing and highlights how marginal gains — pacing strategies, wind assistance on certain stretches, and race day conditions — can influence record attempts. It will also return attention to World Athletics’ ratification criteria after a spate of fast performances whose status has varied depending on technical compliance.
Until governing‑body procedures are completed, the Lisbon mark remains subject to confirmation, while Kejelcha’s time in Buenos Aires will follow the formal ratification route. That process typically examines course measurement, elevation change, pacemaking arrangements and doping control protocols.
- Performance: Kejelcha finished in 56:51, reclaiming the world half‑marathon record.
- Rivalry: The result follows several very fast recent runs by Jacob Kiplimo, some of which have been ineligible for ratification.
- Ratification: World Athletics procedures will determine whether the new mark is officially recognised.
In the women’s race in Buenos Aires, Ethiopia’s Fotyen Tesfay won convincingly in 1:03:57. While the focus will rightly be on Kejelcha’s time, both results add to a pattern of rapidly improving road times this season and will be studied by athletes and coaches as they plan major championship and marathon schedules for the coming months.
The immediate next step is administrative: the event organisers and relevant federations will submit required documentation for ratification. Only once that process is complete will Kejelcha’s 56:51 be entered formally into the sport’s record books.
