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Kenyan Runner Ngetich Breaks Women-Only Half-Marathon Record
Confirmed
In Short: Agnes Ngetich won the World Athletics Road Running Championships in Copenhagen, breaking the women-only half-marathon world record.
Agnes Ngetich of Kenya broke the women-only half-marathon world record on Sunday, finishing first at the World Athletics Road Running Championships in Copenhagen with a time of one hour, five minutes, and 15 seconds.
Ngetich's time was 50 seconds faster than second-place Veronica Loleo, also from Kenya. The previous record was set by her compatriot Peres Jepchirchir in 2020, who had held it for nearly six years.
The overall women's half-marathon world record is held by Ethiopia's Letesenbet Gidey, who ran 1:02:52 in 2021 at the mixed-gender Valencia Half Marathon.
Ngetich, 25, has had a successful year, also winning the team half marathon in Copenhagen and the World Cross Country Championships in Florida earlier this year.
Ngetich's aggressive start strategy paid off, as she took the lead early and maintained it throughout the race. She hit the 20km mark 51 seconds ahead of her rivals and held on to make history at the finish line.
World Athletics keeps separate records for women-only races, and Ngetich's new record stands as the fastest time in a women-only event.
Ngetich now holds three world records, including her 10km world records of 28:46 set in a mixed race and 29:27 achieved in a women-only race.
What's confirmed
- "My coach believed in me and told me that I could do it, that I could win the gold medal," said Ngetich, 25.
What's still developing
- “After one kilometre, I was like, let me try to push the pace, because I saw an opportunity to get the world record,” Ngetich told World Athletics.
- Three of the last four women-only records have been set at a world championship, Netsanet Gudeta’s 1:06:11 in Valencia in 2018 among them, because no other race on the calendar puts this many good women on a start line with no men in front of them.
- Both of Ngetich’s runs had men in the field, which is why they sit on a separate list from the one she topped on Sunday.
- The gap grew again, to 53 seconds by 15km, reached by Ngetich in 46:17.
- Loleo won the fight for silver in 1:06:05 and Niyonkuru claimed bronze in a national record of 1:06:08, five seconds ahead of Jerono.