Kenyan Geoffrey Kamworor’s World Half Marathon record of 58 minutes and 01 seconds has been ratified.
In a sensational run, Kamworor chopped 22 seconds from the previous record at the Copenhagen Half Marathon on September 15, coming tantalisingly close to breaking the event’s 58-minute barrier.
The eight-year previous record of 58:23 was held by Zersenay Tadese from Eritrea, a time he set on March 21, 2010 in Lisbon, Portugal
It was an apt setting for the 26-year-old Kenyan who won the first of his three successive world half marathon titles in the streets of the Danish capital in 2014.
Covering the first five kilometres in 13:53, just outside world record pace, Kamworor upped the tempo to reach 10 kilometres in 27:34, four seconds inside his stated target.
He was in front alone by the 11-kilometre mark, but didn’t slow. He reached 15 kilometres in 41:05, the fastest time ever recorded for that distance and a stunning 11 seconds inside sub-58 minute pace.
His pace dropped over the waning stages but he still reached 20 kilometres in 55:00, another world best. He was just a few metres from the finish line as the clock moved to 58 minutes before stopping at 58:01.
“It is very emotional for me to set this record,” said Kamworor, who also won back-to-back world cross country titles in 2015 and 2017.
“And doing it in Copenhagen, where I won my first world title, adds something to it.”
