Lisbon, Portugal: Uganda’s long-distance star Jacob Kiplimo has set a new half marathon world record after winning the 2026 Lisbon Half Marathon with a blistering time of 57 minutes and 20 seconds on Sunday.
Kiplimo dominated the race from the early stages and crossed the finish line well ahead of the rest of the field, delivering one of the fastest performances ever recorded over the 21-kilometre distance.
His victory in Lisbon marks a triumphant return to the global record books following disappointment last year when a stunning 56:42 performance at the Barcelona Half Marathon was not ratified by World Athletics due to technical issues related to course measurement and elevation drop.
Despite the setback, Kiplimo remained determined to reclaim his place among the sport’s record holders, and his latest performance in Portugal now stands as an officially recognised world record. Lisbon has also proven to be a special venue for the Ugandan runner.
In November 2021, Kiplimo produced a historic run on the same course when he clocked 57:31, which was then recognised as a world record and remained the global benchmark for more than three years.
The new record further cements Kiplimo’s reputation as one of the world’s most dominant road runners and adds another milestone to Uganda’s growing legacy in global distance running.
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