Ethiopia’s Kejelcha reclaims half-marathon world record — image accompanying Canadian Running's report. Image accompanying Canadian Running’s report; reduced and presented for news commentary with the attributed report. View the complete source report.
Ethiopian runner Yomif Kejelcha reset the half-marathon world record with a time of 56:51. Kejelcha, already the 10K world-record holder, took 29 seconds off the previous mark. His performance was unexpected as he did not announce his participation in the race.
Kejelcha’s previous half-marathon record was broken by Jacob Kiplimo in 2025. Kiplimo’s record was later disqualified due to pacing violations. Kejelcha’s new time also broke the Buenos Aires course record. Read more racing coverage.
Kejelcha’s achievement adds to his 10K world record of 26:31, set in 2025. He is scheduled to compete in the Valencia Marathon in December, raising the possibility of another record. Related: Kejelcha reclaims world half-marathon record.
This original Runner World brief is based on reporting from Canadian Running. Visit the source for its complete reporting, context and any later corrections.
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What should runners know about Ethiopia’s Kejelcha reclaims half-marathon world record?
Kejelcha sets new world record at Media Maratón Ciudad de Buenos Aires Ethiopian runner Yomif Kejelcha reset the half-marathon world record with a time of 56:51. Kejelcha, already the 10K world-record holder, took 29 seconds off the previous mark. His performance was unexpected as he did not announce his participation in the race.
When did Runner World publish this racing brief?
Runner World published this brief on August 24, 2026. The underlying Canadian Running report was dated August 23, 2026.
Where can readers find the complete original report?
This summary is based on reporting from Canadian Running. The attributed source link in the article leads to the publisher’s complete report.
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