Kejelcha’s half marathon world record ratified

World Athletics announced on Monday 9 November that Yomif Kejelcha’s half marathon world record had been ratified. The Ethiopian ran 56:51 at the Buenos Aires City Half Marathon on Sunday 23 August 2026.

The time was 29 seconds faster than Jacob Kiplimo’s previous record of 57:20, set in Lisbon on 8 March. Kejelcha regained the record he had set in Valencia in October 2024, with a time of 57:30.

Splits from a record-breaking race

Kejelcha passed 10 km in 27:19 and reached 15 km in 40:41. He covered the five kilometres between those points in 13:22, before reaching 20 km in 54:04.

His split between 10 and 20 km was 26:45. The Buenos Aires race held a World Athletics road race label.

Three other records ratified

The international federation also ratified the mile world record set by Britain’s Josh Kerr, who ran 3:42.66 in London on 18 July 2026. He beat the 3:43.13 set by Hicham El Guerrouj in Rome on 7 July 1999.

In the 400 metres hurdles, Brazil’s Alison dos Santos had his time of 45.80, set in Zurich on 27 August 2026, ratified. His time was 0.14 faster than the record set by Karsten Warholm at the Tokyo Olympic Games on 3 August 2021.

The fourth record ratified was the 12.09 run by American Masai Russell in the 100 metres hurdles, also in Zurich on 27 August. She improved on Tobi Amusan’s 12.12, set in Oregon on 24 July 2022, by 0.03.