Uganda's Jacob Kiplimo shattered the half marathon world record with an impressive time of 56 minutes and 41 seconds in Barcelona on Sunday. Kiplimo's performance was 49 seconds faster than the previous record set by Ethiopia's Yomif Kejelcha in October.
The twice world cross country champion's run marked the greatest single improvement on the men's half marathon record, according to World Athletics. \"It has been the perfect race. Ideal temperature, no wind at all, fantastic circuit – everything went better than expected,\" Kiplimo remarked. He added, \"I found myself full of energy and decided to inject a brisker rhythm from the third kilometer, but I never imagined to perform under the 57-minute barrier, that's astonishing. I won't compete any more until my marathon debut in London on April 27.\"
Earlier the same day in Kobe, Japan's Toshikazu Yamanishi set a new world record in the men's 20-kilometer race walk, clocking 1:16:10, surpassing his compatriot Yusuke Suzuki's 2015 mark by 26 seconds.
Yamanishi shared his excitement, stating, \"I'm glad 'time' came along with my efforts today. The guys made a good rhythm in the first half of the race and I figured I'd make a move in the latter part of the race. My movement didn't really feel right in the beginning, it wasn't easy, but I was able to make the adjustments to find the right rhythm. When I was planning my race, whatever happened in the race I was aiming for the world record. With my performance today, I was able to express my appreciation towards my supporters who stuck along even during the last season when I was struggling.\"
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Uganda's Jacob Kiplimo smashes half marathon world record in 56:41
cgtn.com
