Yomif Kejelcha smashes the world half-marathon record in Buenos Aires

It took an extraordinary performance to push back the limits of the half-marathon. Yomif Kejelcha went well beyond them, breaking 57 minutes. In Buenos Aires, Argentina, the 29-year-old Ethiopian covered the 21.0975 kilometres in 56:51, averaging more than 22.22 km/h and roughly 2:42 per kilometre. Numbers that seem almost inhuman to the many people who follow distance running. The time represents a spectacular 29-second improvement on the world record, held since March 2026 by Uganda’s Jacob Kiplimo, who ran 57:20 in Lisbon.

10K, half-marathon, marathon: A master of every distance

The record also carries symbolic weight for Yomif Kejelcha, who had already set the half-marathon world record at 57:30 in Valencia in October 2024, before Jacob Kiplimo reclaimed it in Portugal. The Ugandan had even run 56:42 in Barcelona in 2025, but that performance was not ratified because he was thought to have benefited from a lead car.

On Sunday, the Ethiopian did not wait until the final kilometres to make his move. He broke clear around the 7-kilometre mark and continued alone. Behind him, compatriots Tadese Worku (59:20) and Bereket Nega (1:00:20) joined him on the podium. That makes the time even more impressive: the Tokyo 10,000m world silver medallist behind Jimmy Gressier had to maintain a ferocious pace without a group to shelter him from the wind or help regulate his effort.

Wearing the adidas Adios Pro Evo 3

With his 56:51, the second-fastest marathon runner in history after clocking 1:59:41 in London has officially taken back the top spot. The question now is how far the current 10K world-record holder, who ran 26:31 in Castellón in 2025, can take this progression, particularly over the marathon. The performance came in the adidas Adios Pro Evo 3, the same shoes he wore for the London Marathon. They are the fastest running shoes in the world over the marathon, and now over the half-marathon too. adidas’s innovation team also worked closely with Yomif Kejelcha on a Techfit+ Endurance race suit featuring supportive bands designed to improve running economy. Bring on what comes next.

“This time is incredible”

“ I’m over the moon. I’m incredibly happy and I don’t feel tired at all. The journey from Ethiopia was very long and I was tired during the first few days, but then I started feeling better and today I was full of energy. I had planned to manage my effort at the start of the race, but I felt good and decided to give it everything. This time is incredible. I have no words to describe it. I’m now looking forward to tasting Argentine beef, which has an excellent reputation. This afternoon, I was also invited to watch the River Plate-Vélez Sarsfield football match. I’m delighted. ”