BY Sulaiman Kauki
Uganda has once again earned global recognition in athletics after long-distance runner Jacob Kiplimo set a new world record in the half marathon on Sunday.
Kiplimo delivered an outstanding performance at the Lisbon Half Marathon in Lisbon, Portugal, winning the race in a remarkable time of 57 minutes and 20 seconds.
The Ugandan athlete controlled the race from the early stages and maintained a strong pace to cross the finish line with the fastest time ever recorded in the half marathon. His latest achievement improves the previous record by 11 seconds. The performance will become official once it is ratified by World Athletics.
Interestingly, Kiplimo had previously set the course record on the same route in 2021 when he clocked 57 minutes and 31 seconds.
Uganda also continues to dominate other long-distance events through Joshua Cheptegei, who holds the world record in the men’s 10,000 metres. Cheptegei set that record in 2020 during a race in Valencia, Spain, finishing in 26 minutes and 11 seconds and breaking a mark that had stood since 2005.
In addition to the 10,000-metre record, Cheptegei has also set world records in the 5,000 metres and the 5-kilometre road race. He later went on to win gold in the 10,000 metres at the 2023 World Athletics Championships held in Budapest, Hungary.
These achievements highlight Uganda’s growing influence in global athletics, particularly in long-distance running.