A thunderbolt of a performance in Barcelona has been dimmed by the rulebook.
Jacob Kiplimo’s blistering half‑marathon time of 56:42, a run that would have shattered the 57‑minute barrier and rewritten distance‑running history, has been declared invalid by World Athletics, denying the Ugandan star a landmark achievement.
At last year’s Barcelona Half Marathon, Kiplimo produced a display of speed that left spectators breathless.
For a fleeting, electrifying moment, it looked as if the sport had a new frontier: a sub‑57 half‑marathon. Instead, World Athletics has ruled the performance non‑compliant with technical regulations, meaning the official world record remains Yomif Kejelcha’s 57:30 from Valencia 2024.
The crux of the decision centres on illegal pacing assistance. Broadcast footage showed Kiplimo running consistently close behind the lead pace car — roughly 10 to 15 metres — for a large portion of the race.
While the rulebook does not prescribe a fixed minimum distance between athletes and pace vehicles, the governing body judged that the proximity amounted to an unfair advantage and therefore constituted prohibited assistance under its technical rules.
Additional reports suggest Kiplimo may also have received coaching input during the race, a further potential breach that compounded the case against ratification.
World Athletics’ ruling underscores how razor‑thin the margins are between historic triumph and technical disqualification. Records in elite distance running are not just about raw speed; they must be achieved within a tightly controlled framework designed to ensure fairness.
For Kiplimo, the decision is a bitter pill: a performance of extraordinary calibre, but one that cannot be enshrined in the record books.
The controversy is far from over. Fans and pundits will be watching closely as Kiplimo and Kejelcha prepare to meet again at the 2026 London Marathon on April 26, a showdown that now carries extra narrative weight. Whether Kiplimo will chase redemption, and whether the sport will revisit the fine print around pacing and technology, are storylines that promise drama in the months ahead.
This episode is a reminder that athletics lives at the intersection of human brilliance and strict regulation. Jacob Kiplimo’s Barcelona run will be remembered for its audacity and speed — even if the record books, for now, refuse to acknowledge it.
