Buenos Aires, Argentina (Running Africa) — Ethiopia’s Yomif Kejelcha has reclaimed the men’s half marathon world record, clocking a remarkable 56 minutes, 51 seconds in Buenos Aires on Sunday to take nearly half a minute off the previous official mark.

The 29-year-old broke away from the field before accelerating through the second half of the race, eventually finishing 29 seconds faster than Uganda’s Jacob Kiplimo’s 57:20 world record, set in Lisbon in March.

Kejelcha’s 56:51 performance remains subject to ratification by World Athletics, but if confirmed, it will return the half marathon world record to an athlete who previously held it in 2024.

Yomif Kejelcha Runs 56:51 Half Marathon World Record

Kejelcha delivered a commanding performance in Buenos Aires, gradually separating himself from his rivals before increasing the pace over the closing stages.

He crossed the finish line in 56:51, comfortably inside Kiplimo’s ratified world record of 57:20.

The Ethiopian’s performance represents an extraordinary average pace of roughly 2:42 per kilometer across the 21.1km distance.

Subject to the usual certification and ratification process, Kejelcha will officially regain the world record less than a year after losing it.

Kejelcha Reclaims Record From Uganda’s Jacob Kiplimo

The half marathon record has changed hands between two of Africa’s leading distance runners.

Kejelcha first claimed the world record in Valencia in October 2024, running 57:30.

Kiplimo subsequently lowered the official mark to 57:20 in Lisbon in March, taking the record away from the Ethiopian.

The Ugandan had previously produced an even faster 56:42 in Barcelona, but the performance was not eligible for world-record ratification because the race conditions did not comply with World Athletics requirements.

Kejelcha’s latest performance now puts him back at the top of the official record books, pending ratification.

Kejelcha’s Record Adds to Remarkable 2026 Season

The Buenos Aires performance adds another major achievement to what has already been an extraordinary year for the Ethiopian.

In April, Kejelcha made his marathon debut in London and ran 1:59:41, becoming only the second man to officially complete the 42.195km distance in under two hours.

He finished behind Kenya’s Sabastian Sawe, but the performance immediately established Kejelcha as a major force over the marathon distance.

His ability to produce elite performances from 10km through the half marathon and marathon has strengthened his position among the most versatile distance runners of his generation.

Yomif Kejelcha Also Holds 10km Road World Record

Kejelcha’s dominance extends beyond the half marathon.

The Ethiopian also holds the men’s 10km road world record, giving him an increasingly formidable collection of performances across road racing’s major distances.

His success follows a distinguished career on the track, where he established himself among Ethiopia’s leading middle- and long-distance athletes before increasingly turning his attention to the roads.

The transition has allowed Kejelcha to demonstrate his range across substantially longer distances.

African Runners Continue to Push Distance Running Limits

Kejelcha’s performance also continues the extraordinary rivalry among East African distance runners, with Ethiopian, Kenyan and Ugandan athletes repeatedly pushing world records into previously uncharted territory.

The recent exchange of the half marathon record between Kejelcha and Kiplimo illustrates how quickly standards at the elite level are changing.

A sub-57-minute half marathon was once considered an extraordinary barrier. Kejelcha has now produced an official-record-eligible performance well beneath it.

If ratified by World Athletics, his 56:51 in Buenos Aires will become the new men’s half marathon world record, returning the crown to Ethiopia and adding another landmark achievement to a season in which Yomif Kejelcha has emerged as one of the defining figures in global distance running.