Yomif Kejelcha of Ethiopia set a new men's half marathon world record at the Valencia Half Marathon, held on a rainy Sunday, October 27, finishing in a remarkable 57:30.
Despite the rain, cool temperatures, high humidity, and slick roads, the conditions did not deter the runners from achieving some of the fastest times recorded.
The pacers for the men's elite group fell behind the leaders shortly after the 4km mark.
A leading pack of five, headed by Ethiopia's Yomif Kejelcha, reached the 5km point in 13:38, matching the pace needed for a world record. The front runners were Yomif Kejelcha, Geechu Dida, Selemon Berega, Vincent Langat, and Isaias Kipkoech.
By the 10km mark, recorded at 27:12, the lead group had thinned to three—Kejelcha, Dida, and Langat—still maintaining a pace on track for a record.
After passing the 15km point in 40:56, Kejelcha increased his speed, successfully breaking away from the group. He continued to push the pace, navigating through Valencia’s rainy and wet conditions, to finish with a new world record time of 57:30.
The previous men's half-marathon world record was 57:31, set by Ugandan Jacob Kiplimo on 21 November 2021 during the Lisbon Half Marathon.
Men's Half Marathon Top Results:
Pos. | Name | Time |
---|---|---|
1 | KEJELCHA, YOMIF (ETH) | 0:57:30 World Record |
2 | MATEIKO, DANIEL (KEN) | 0:58:17 |
3 | KIPKOECH LASOI, ISAIA (KEN) | 0:58:21 |
4 | DIDA, GEMECHU (ETH) | 0:58:39 |
5 | LANGAT, VICENT (KEN) | 0:58:41 |
6 | BALEW, BIRHANU (BHR) | 0:59:41 |
7 | NDIKUMWENAYO, THIERRY (ESP) | 0:59:42 |
8 | Daguinos, Etienne (FRA) | 0:59:46 |
9 | Augusto, Bastien (FRA) | 1:00:18 |
10 | KITIYO, DENIS (KEN) | 1:00:47 |