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Yomif Kejelcha produced a stunning performance to win the Media Maratón Ciudad de Buenos Aires and set a new world best of 56 minutes 51 seconds, a World Athletics report confirmed on August 23, 2026. The 29-year-old Ethiopian bettered the previous pending record of 57:20 set by Uganda’s Jacob Kiplimo at the Lisbon Half Marathon in March. Kejelcha had first claimed the record with 57:30 in Valencia during October 2024 before losing it to his rival.
Kiplimo’s earlier effort of 56:42 in Barcelona failed to qualify as a world record because the race conditions did not fully comply with World Athletics regulations, Reuters reported. The latest mark from Buenos Aires will undergo the standard ratification process before becoming official. Ethiopia’s Fotyen Tesfay dominated the women’s competition at the same event with a winning time of 1:03:57.
A two-time Olympian who earned silver in the 10,000 metres at the world championships on the track, Kejelcha also holds the world record for the 10,000m road distance, an Olympics.com profile noted. His road racing credentials further strengthened in April when he placed second at the London Marathon in 1:59:41, just 11 seconds behind winner Sabastian Sawe’s 1:59:30. That performance made him one of only a handful of athletes to break the two-hour marathon barrier in record-eligible conditions.
The half marathon world record has undergone steady improvement since official recognition began in 2004, with World Athletics figures showing a progression from times around 59 minutes in the late 1990s to the current sub-57 standard. Early ratified marks included Samuel Wanjiru’s 58:53 in 2007, followed by incremental gains that have accelerated in the past decade. Kejelcha’s latest contribution marks another chapter in the intense rivalry with Kiplimo over the 21.1-kilometre distance.
The event drew a record entry exceeding 31,000 participants for the fifth consecutive year, according to local Argentine media cited by Ground News. The race has grown in stature as a World Athletics Label road event, drawing elite competitors from across East Africa. Kejelcha’s victory capped a competitive field that highlighted the depth of current distance running talent.
Kejelcha’s achievement comes amid a period of rapid evolution in long-distance records, where both half marathon and marathon barriers continue to fall, according to historical data maintained by the Association of Road Racing Statisticians. His ability to excel on both track and road has positioned him as one of the leading figures in the sport heading into future major championships. The record, once ratified, will stand as the new benchmark for half marathon runners worldwide.
