Men · World record

Half Marathon

The current record and its documented progression: 11 ratified records from 1998 to 2026, with 1 pending ratification, 25 listed as world bests before ratification, 7 otherwise annotated shown in place.

Current record

56:42

Jacob KiplimoUGABarcelona · 16 Feb 2025

1 year standing48 s improvementAll-time top 25 →

Record progression

Each step is a documented record; hollow marks were rescinded, not ratified or are pending

1960 · 1:07:01 Brian Hill-Cottingham (Annotated)1965 · 1:05:44 Ron Hill (World best)1966 · 1:05:42 Pete Ravald (World best)1964 · 1:04:28 Abebe Bikila (World best)1967 · 1:03:22 Derek Clayton (World best)1970 · 1:03:53 Derek Graham (World best)1976 · 1:03:46 Juan Rafael Angel Perez (World best)1976 · 1:03:46 Jose Reveyn (World best)1977 · 1:02:57 Miruts Yifter (World best)1977 · 1:02:37 Toshihiro Matsumoto (Annotated)1978 · 1:02:47 Tony Simmons (World best)1979 · 1:02:36 Nick Rose (World best)1979 · 1:02:32 Kirk Pfeffer (World best)1980 · 1:02:16 Stan Mavis (World best)1981 · 1:01:47 Herb Lindsay (World best)1982 · 1:01:36 Michael Musyoki (World best)1983 · 1:01:32 Paul Cummings (World best)1985 · 1:01:14 Steve Jones (World best)1985 · 1:00:55 Mark Curp (World best)1986 · 1:00:43 Michael Musyoki (World best)1987 · 1:00:10 Matthews Temane (World best)1990 · 1:00:46 Dionicio Cerón (Annotated)1993 · 1:00:06 Steve Moneghetti (World best)1993 · 1:00:24 Benson Masya (Annotated)1993 · 59:47 Moses Tanui (World best)1994 · 1:00:13 Paul Tergat (Annotated)1997 · 59:56 Shem Kororia (Annotated)1998 · 59:43 António Pinto (World best)1998 · 59:17 Paul Tergat2000 · 59:06 Paul Tergat (World best)2005 · 59:16 Samuel Wanjiru2005 · 59:05 Zersenay Tadese (World best)2006 · 58:55 Haile Gebrselassie2006 · 59:07 Paul Malakwen Kosgei (Annotated)2007 · 58:53 Samuel Wanjiru (World best)2007 · 58:33 Samuel Wanjiru2010 · 58:23 Zersenay Tadese2018 · 58:18 Abraham Kiptum2019 · 58:01 Geoffrey Kamworor2020 · 57:32 Kibiwott Kandie2021 · 57:31 Jacob Kiplimo2024 · 57:30 Yomif Kejelcha2026 · 57:20 Jacob Kiplimo2026 · 56:51 Yomif Kejelcha (Pending) 56:511:07:01

19601979 · Rose 1:02:361993 · Moneghetti 1:00:062006 · Kosgei 59:072026 · Kejelcha 56:51

Documented records

11 ratified · 1 pending · 25 world bests · 7 annotated · most recent first · Wikipedia (EN) revision 1372025709, imported 2 Sep 2026

MarkAthleteNationVenueDateStood
56:51 Yomif Kejelcha Pending ETH Buenos Aires 23 Aug 2026
57:20 Jacob Kiplimo UGA Lisbon 8 Mar 2026 180 d
57:30 Yomif Kejelcha ETH Valencia 27 Oct 2024 1 yr
57:31 Jacob Kiplimo UGA Lisbon 21 Nov 2021 2 yrs
57:32 Kibiwott Kandie KEN Valencia 6 Dec 2020 350 d
58:01 Geoffrey Kamworor KEN Copenhagen 15 Sep 2019 1 yr
58:18 Abraham Kiptum KEN Valencia 28 Oct 2018 322 d
58:23 Zersenay Tadese ERI Lisbon 21 Mar 2010 8 yrs
58:33 Samuel Wanjiru KEN The Hague 17 Mar 2007 3 yrs
58:53 Samuel Wanjiru World bestListed by the World Athletics as a world best prior to official acceptance KEN Ras al-Khaimah 9 Feb 2007
59:07 Paul Malakwen Kosgei AnnotatedRecognized by the Association of Road Racing Statisticians KEN Berlin 2 Apr 2006
58:55 Haile Gebrselassie ETH Tempe 15 Jan 2006 1 yr
59:05 Zersenay Tadese World bestListed by the World Athletics as a world best prior to official acceptanceNoted by the IAAF as set on an uncertified or aided course which does not fulfill the criteria specified in IAAF Rule 260.28.b or 260.28.c. ERI South Shields 18 Sep 2005
59:16 Samuel Wanjiru KEN Rotterdam 11 Sep 2005 126 d
59:06 Paul Tergat World bestListed by the World Athletics as a world best prior to official acceptanceNoted by the IAAF as set on an uncertified or aided course which does not fulfill the criteria specified in IAAF Rule 260.28.b or 260.28.c. KEN Lisbon 26 Mar 2000
59:17 Paul Tergat KEN Milan 4 Apr 1998 7 yrs
59:43 António Pinto World bestListed by the World Athletics as a world best prior to official acceptanceNoted by the IAAF as set on an uncertified or aided course which does not fulfill the criteria specified in IAAF Rule 260.28.b or 260.28.c. POR Lisbon 15 Mar 1998
59:56 Shem Kororia AnnotatedRecognized by the Association of Road Racing Statisticians KEN Košice 4 Oct 1997
1:00:13 Paul Tergat AnnotatedRecognized by the Association of Road Racing Statisticians KEN Milan 15 Apr 1994
59:47 Moses Tanui World bestListed by the World Athletics as a world best prior to official acceptance KEN Milan 3 Apr 1993

Showing 20 of 44 · Show all · Rows link to a profile only where the athlete appears on a published list. Struck marks were rescinded or never ratified, and A marks a performance at altitude; both come from the source article's own key and markers, and eras are kept as it lists them. Nothing is inferred.