The 26-year-old Kenyan broke the previous record by 17 seconds — and nearly broke the 58-minute barrier.
Aside from the World Half Marathon Championships, Geoffrey Kamworor hadn’t run a half since 2014. But Kamworor ran in the Copenhagen Half Marathon on Sunday, setting a new world record with a finish time of 58 minutes 1 second.
But taking on the world record in Copenhagen meant Kamworor wouldn’t compete in the IAAF World Championships in Doha, Qatar. “It is very emotional for me to set this record,” Kamworor said. “And doing it in Copenhagen, where I won my first world title, adds something to it.”
Kamworor holds three World Half Marathon titles, winning his last in 2018 in Valencia (where the previous world record was set). He also won the 2017 New York Marathon and the 10,000m title in the Kenyan Championships just weeks before lining up for Copenhagen.
Breaking the Record
Prior to Kamworor’s effort, the world record for the half-marathon stood at 58 minutes 18 seconds, set by Abraham Kiptum last year. For reference, Kiptum broke the previous world record by just 5 seconds. But Kamworor smashed his mark by a whopping 17.
In addition to the world record, Kamworor’s insane 4:25.5 pace also broke other barriers. His 41 minutes and 5 seconds for the 15km distance was the fastest time on record, as was the 55 minutes it took him to complete 20 km.
See Kamworor’s record-breaking finish below.
