Kenya’s Agnes Jebet Ngetich smashed the women’s only half marathon world record at the World Athletics Road Running Championships Copenhagen 2026 on Sunday, 20 September.
Ngetich led from gun to tape on a sunny morning in Copenhagen to set a new time of 01:05:15 seconds, lowering the old mark set by Olympic champion Peres Jepchirchir of 1:01:16 from 2020.
The reigning world cross-country champion finished over a minute ahead of the rest of the field, having led by 11 seconds at the 5km mark. She reached the 10km mark in 30 minutes 39 seconds.
A late surge by teammate Veronica Loleo, who led the chase group for most of that race, narrowed the gap slightly, but it wasn’t enough to truly threaten Ngetich.
The Kenyan raised her hands in celebration as she crossed the finish line an astonishing 51 seconds ahead of Loleo, who held on for silver in 1:06:05, with Florence Niyonkuru racing to a Rwandan half marathon record for bronze in 1:06:08.
Ngetich revealed after that she decided to go for the world record right from the start.
“After one kilometre, I was like, let me try to push the pace, because I saw an opportunity to get the world record. When I reached 15 kilometres, I was so happy, because I got the feeling of “let me do this”, and there were only six kilometres left,” she said of her race tactic.
“I looked at the watch, and I realised I am two seconds from the world record, and I thought, ‘no, I do not want to miss this’, so I was just putting all my energy into it. With 100 metres left, I said to myself, ‘I can get the world record’. So crossing the finish line with a world record by just one second was unbelievable. I was running this race for my mum.”
The new world record holder has two more races planned before she wraps up her season and switches focus to the 2027 World Championships in Beijing.
“I am coming back to track races in 2027, because there is a World Championships. It is my dream to win a gold medal on the track. It is the only one I am missing.”
Almgren finishes with new European record of 58 minutes six seconds
The men’s race was won in an entirely different fashion. With some four kilometres to go, Nicholas Kipkorir, who took an early lead in the race, was part of a three-man breakaway, alongside Swedish Andreas Almgren and double Olympic track champion Joshua Cheptegei.
Almgren, the 2025 world 10,000m bronze medallist, kicked on with a kilometre to go, but Kipkorir aggressively hung on to the lead.
However, there was no stopping Almgren in the final 100m, as he shifted gears to storm to a continental record of 58 minutes six seconds.
“This gold medal means so much to me. I have had a few problems in my career. A lot of fourth places at the Europeans. Then finally I got a bronze medal at the World Championships last year,” said the winner Almgren.
“And then my first gold medal in Birmingham earlier this year and now to become the world champion in half marathon means a lot to me. I felt extremely strong at the last few kilometres. I did not only have one or two gears left, I had three or four. I felt like my opponents could try whatever they wanted but I was not going to let this gold medal go.”
Kipkorir painfully settled for the silver in 58:11, ahead of Cheptegei with bronze, his first medal on the road in a personal best of 58:26.
“I also ran in Copenhagen in 2025 and it seems like I knew the route,” shared Kipkorir.
“After 5 kilometres I decided to push and, even if there was a lot of wind, it was a good decision. It is always hard on the last stretch towards the finish, and I had to push myself. I’m super happy with my medal.”
Tadese Worku finished fourth (58:35) and Kenya’s Gideon Rono took fifth (58:57) as all five athletes broke the 59-minute barrier.
World Road Running Championships Copenhagen 2026: Top 10 results
Women’s half marathon
Agnes Jebet Ngetich (KEN) – 1:05:15 WRwo
Veronica Loleo (KEN) – 1:06:05
Florence Niyonkuru (RWA – 1:06:08
Daisilah Jerono (KEN) – 1:06:13
Emma Grace Hurley (USAs) – 1:06:23
Weini Kelati Frezghi (USA) – 1:06:35
Jessica McClain (USA) – 1:06:53
Ftaw Zeray (ETH) – 1:07:07
Fatima Ezzahra Birdah (MAR) – 1:07:33
Esther Chebet (UGA) – 1:07:38
Men’s half marathon
Andreas Almgren (ERI) – 58:06
Ncholas Kipkorir (KEN) – 58:11
Joshua Cheptegei (UGA) – 58:26
Tadese Worku (ETH) – 58:35
Gideon Rono (KEN – 58:57
Han Idriss Hersi (DJI) – 59:09
Yemaneberhan Crippa (ITA) – 59:18
Alex Matata (KEN) – 59:22
Daniel Ebenyo (KEN) – 59:42
Othmane El Goumri (MAR) – 59:53
