Yomif Kejelcha's Historic Sprint: A Record by a Second

Ethiopian runner Yomif Kejelcha broke the men's half-marathon world record by one second, finishing with a time of 57:30 in Valencia. The previous record, set in 2021 by Jacob Kiplimo, was also surpassed by a one-second margin. Kejelcha's record awaits official ratification by World Athletics.

Ethiopian athlete Yomif Kejelcha redefined half-marathon history by shaving one second off the world record, clocking in at 57 minutes and 30 seconds in Valencia, Spain. The previous mark belonged to Ugandan Jacob Kiplimo, achieved in Lisbon in 2021.

Kejelcha, a former 10,000-meter world championship silver medalist and indoor mile record-holder, must now await the ratification of his achievement by World Athletics. Records in this sport are often decided by the slimmest of margins.

Interestingly, the women's race almost mirrored the men's with Kenya's Agnes Ngetich finishing her half-marathon just 11 seconds short of Letesenbet Gidey's 2021 record. Despite missing out, it was a historical debut for Ngetich as it was the fastest second-place time recorded in history.

(With inputs from agencies.)