Ngetich Breaks World Record and Almgren Claims European Record on Final Day in Copenhagen
Agnes Ngetich delivered a commanding gun-to-tape performance to break the women-only half marathon world record, while Sweden’s Andreas Almgren produced a decisive late surge to win the men’s title in a European record on the second and final day of the 2026 World Athletics Road Running Championships in Copenhagen.
Ngetich breaks women-only half marathon world record
Kenya’s Agnes Ngetich won her first world half marathon title in dominant fashion, clocking 1:05:15 to break the women-only world record on a sunny morning in Copenhagen.
Ngetich crossed the finish line 50 seconds ahead of compatriot Veronica Loleo and took one second off the previous women-only world record of 1:05:16, set by Kenya’s Peres Jepchirchir at the 2020 World Half Marathon Championships in Gdynia.
The victory gave Ngetich her second global title of the season following the gold medal she won at the World Cross Country Championships in Tallahassee in January.
Ngetich was in a class of her own from the opening kilometre, immediately taking control with an aggressive pace. The Kenyan star led from gun to tape and had established a 10-second advantage by the 5km mark, which she reached in 15:12.
She continued to increase her lead and passed 15km in 46:17, holding a 53-second advantage over the chasing group of Rwanda’s Florence Niyonkuru, Kenya’s Daisilah Jerono and the United States’ Emma Grace Hurley, who reached the checkpoint in 47:10.
Ngetich passed 20km in 1:01:56 with a 51-second lead. Despite running alone into the wind for much of the race, she maintained her pace over the closing stages and raised her arms in celebration as she stopped the clock at a world record of 1:05:15.
Loleo secured the silver medal in 1:06:05, while Niyonkuru finished three seconds behind her to earn bronze in a Rwandan record of 1:06:08. Jerono placed fourth in 1:06:13.
Kenya claimed the team gold medal ahead of the United States and Ethiopia. The US team placed three athletes inside the top 10, with Hurley finishing fifth in a personal best of 1:06:23, Weini Kelati taking sixth in 1:06:35 and Jessica McClain placing seventh in a PB of 1:06:53.
“I was running this race for my mom,” said Ngetich. “My coach believed in me and told me that I could do it and win the gold medal. I am very happy and grateful to now hold the world half marathon record while also being the world cross country champion. Adding another medal is amazing.
“I came here to see if I was able to win the gold medal, and I did. I prepared really well for this race, and this medal is the perfect conclusion to my championship season. You can win a championship through tactics or the way I did today, by being at the front for most of the race.
“It was tough to be alone for most of the race because it was windy. There were sections where I faced a strong headwind and had to keep pushing by myself.
“After one kilometre, I decided to push the pace because I saw an opportunity to get the world record. When I reached 15km, I thought, ‘Let me do this.’ There were only six kilometres left.
“I looked at my watch and realised I was two seconds outside the world record. I thought, ‘No, I do not want to miss this,’ so I put all my energy into it. With 100 metres remaining, I told myself that I could get the world record. Crossing the finish line and breaking it by just one second was unbelievable.
“I have been doing speed training in Monaco over the past few months, followed by two or three long runs and a little more speed work. I will now discuss what comes next with my coach, but I know I will return to the track in 2027 because there is a World Championships. It is my dream to win a gold medal on the track. It is the only one I am missing.”
Almgren wins men’s half marathon in European record
Sweden’s Andreas Almgren won the men’s world half marathon title, lowering his own European record by 35 seconds with a sensational 58:06 performance.
The Swedish athlete moved to ninth on the world all-time list, improving the previous European record of 58:41 that he set in Valencia in October 2025.
Almgren won by five seconds from Kenya’s Nicholas Kipkorir, who recorded the second-fastest performance of his career with 58:11. Kipkorir finished just three seconds outside the lifetime best of 58:08 he set at the Lisbon Half Marathon.
Uganda’s multiple world and Olympic champion Joshua Cheptegei claimed the bronze medal, improving his personal best to 58:26.
Ethiopia’s Tadese Worku finished fourth in a lifetime best of 58:36, matching the position he achieved at the World Cross Country Championships in Tallahassee. Kenya’s Gideon Rono placed fifth in 58:57.
Italian record-holder Yeman Crippa, the 2024 European half marathon champion, finished seventh and was the second European across the line in 59:18. His time was 17 seconds outside the Italian record of 59:01 he set in Naples in February, but it marked the fourth time in his career that he had broken the one-hour barrier.
Kenya claimed the team gold medal with a combined time of 2:56:30, finishing ahead of Ethiopia in 2:59:47 and the United States in 3:01:44.
Kipkorir moved to the front with 10:45 on the clock and was joined by Kenyan teammates Rono and Daniel Ebenyo. Kenya’s leading quartet of Kipkorir, Ebenyo, Rono and Alex Nzioka Matata controlled the early stages and passed 10km in 27:53.
Almgren, Worku, Cheptegei, the United States’ Conner Mantz and Crippa remained in contact with the Kenyan group.
Kipkorir dictated the pace for much of the race, while Almgren remained on his shoulder and covered every tactical surge. A quartet of Kipkorir, Almgren, Worku and Cheptegei eventually broke away from the rest of the field, reaching 15km in 41:47.
Worku was dropped before Kipkorir, Almgren and Cheptegei passed 20km together in 55:20. Almgren and Kipkorir then pulled clear of Cheptegei as they approached the final stretch.
The leading pair raced shoulder to shoulder, with Kipkorir continuing to push at the front. Almgren remained patient and waited for the right moment to strike. With approximately 700 metres remaining, the Swede changed gears and opened a decisive gap over the Kenyan.
Almgren maintained his advantage to cross the finish line in Fælledparken and claim the biggest victory of his career.
The Swedish athlete used the World Half Marathon Championships as preparation for his marathon debut in New York in November. His growing collection of major honours also includes the European 10,000m title from Birmingham in 2026 and the world bronze medal over the same distance from Tokyo in 2025.
Almgren set the European 5000m record of 12:44.27 at the Stockholm Diamond League meeting in 2025. He began his career as a middle-distance runner and won the world under-20 bronze medal in the 800m in Eugene in 2014.
“It was not that difficult for me to transition from being a track runner to becoming a road runner,” said Almgren. “It still feels kind of surreal that I have gone from the 400m to the half marathon.
“Ten years ago, we joked that maybe one day I would run a 5km race. Now I am the world champion in the half marathon, and I am going to make my marathon debut in New York in about a month.
“This gold medal is a very good sign that I am doing something right.”
Cheptegei added the world half marathon bronze medal to a collection that includes two Olympic gold medals, three world 10,000m titles and the world cross country crown he won in Aarhus in 2019.
“During the race, I struggled a little with my left foot, which I injured 10 days ago,” said Cheptegei. “I received good treatment and felt only a little pain during the race. This race was part of my preparations for the marathon in a few weeks.”
