Kiplimo finished the race with a time of 56:42 and smashed the previous world record by 48 seconds, the biggest ever single improvement on the men’s half marathon world record. Prior to Kiplimo’s incredible run, Ethiopian athlete Yomif Kejelcha held the record with a time of 57:30.

The half marathon world record now begins with a 56. Jacob Kiplimo of Uganda took a whopping 48 seconds off the previous record Sunday morning at the 2025 Barcelona Half Marathon, clocking 56:42 to become the first man to ever break 57 minutes. Afterward, he said he never imagined having the race he did: “That’s astonishing.”

Uganda’s Jacob Kiplimo smashed the world half marathon record with a blistering time of 56 minutes and 42 seconds, shaving 48 seconds off the previous record.

Kiplimo ran with a vengeance in Barcelona on Sunday — beating the previous fastest half marathon time by a whole 48 seconds.