Ugandan Breaks Half-Marathon World Record With Pace That Doesn't Seem Humanly Possible
Nope, this guy can't be human.
There are certain individual athletic achievements we witness in a lifetime that make you pick your jaw up off the floor, but the logical reaction to seeing what Jacob Kiplimo accomplished during a half-marathon over the weekend is to subscribe to the idea that we are, in fact, living amongst aliens, because the Ugandan can not be human.
Kiplimo competed in a half-marathon in Lisbon on Sunday and won the race by setting a new world record, completing the event in 57:20.
The man needed just 57 minutes and 20 seconds to run 13.1 miles, which is an average pace of 4:22 per mile. It puts the universal ‘eight-minute mile’ benchmark to shame.
Learn More About The Ultimate College Hoops Experience
The most astonishing piece of it all is the scene of Kiplimo crossing the finish line. Not only did he do so in rapid stride, but he looked as if he could go for another 13.1 miles, no problem. There was no falling to the ground in exhaustion, no sort of collapse, just a man with immeasurable endurance.
It turns out that Kiplimo and the particular course in Lisbon have a great history together. He had previously broken the world record on the same course five years ago in 57:31. That record stood for three years before Yomif Kejelcha bested it by one second in Valencia, but now the full 10 seconds Kiplimo has shaved off the record could stand for quite some time.
According to the Olympics, Kiplimo posted a time of 56:42 at half marathon in Barcelona in 2025, but the time was not ratified because World Athletics determined that the race conditions were not fully compliant with the international federation's rules.
Compliant, not compliant, running 13.1 miles in 56:42 does not seem like something a human is capable of doing, but Kiplimo is simply different.