New Delhi: Ethiopian distance runner Yomif Kejelcha shattered the world record in half marathon on his way to victory at the Valencia Half Marathon on Sunday, October 27. Kejelcha set a new world record by finishing the race in 57 minutes and 30 seconds amid wet conditions in Valencia. The Ethiopian athlete already holds the world record for the short track mile which he set in 2019.
27-year-old Kejelcha on Sunday broke the half marathon record which was previously held by Uganda’s Jacob Kiplimo, who achieved the feat in Lisbon three years ago. Kejelcha managed to beat the Kiplimo’s record by a second to rewrite history in Valencia. Despite wet conditions troubling the athletes a bit, Kejelcha managed to maintain his pace right from the start of the race till the end to emerge triumphant.
It was another feather in the illustrious cap of the Ethiopian athlete, who was running only his sixth career half marathon in the Spanish city. Kejelcha made a good start in the race and left his closest competitors Daniel Mateiko and Isaia Kipkoech of Kenya behind around the 3km mark to take the top spot on the podium after his victory.
The 27-year-old made his international debut at the age of 16 in 2013 and has since won multiple championships across the globe. He won a silver medal at the World Championships in Doha in 2019 and has two gold medals in the World Indoor Championships. Kejelcha won the gold medal in the Youth Olympic Games in 2014 but is yet to win a medal at the Olympics.
The Ethiopian athlete had taken part in the Paris Olympics 2024 earlier this year but returned without a medal after he finished sixth in the 10,000m final at the showpiece event.
Agnes Ngetich wins women’s race
Kenya’s Agnes Ngetich won the women’s race at the Valencia Half Marathon after finishing with a solid timing of 63:04. Her triumph in Valencia helped the Kenyan climb to the second spot in the all-time world rankings. Ngetich threatened Letesenbet Gidey’s world record of 1:02:52 but missed by less than a 15 seconds.
