Fresh from a world cross country title and already the holder of the 10km world record, Agnes Ngetich went one better in Copenhagen, breaking the women-only half marathon mark by the narrowest of margins.

Agnes Ngetich produced one of the performances of the year to break the women-only world half-marathon record at the Copenhagen Half Marathon today, clocking 1:05:15 to erase Peres Jepchirchir's 1:05:16, set at the 2020 World Half Marathon Championships in Gdynia, by a single second.

The 25-year-old Kenyan controlled the race from the front, passing 5km in 15:12, 10km in 30:39 and 15km in 46:17 before completing the final quarter in 19:19 to come home in 1:05:15 – comfortably clear of the field by the finish.

Veronica Loleo took second for Kenya in 1:06:05, with Florence Niyonkuru of Rwanda third in a national record of 1:06:08. Daisilah Jerono was fourth (1:06:13), while Emma Grace Hurley of the United States rounded out the top five with a personal best of 1:06:23 as the American women enjoyed a successful day in the Danish city.

Britain's leading finisher was Samantha Harrison, who placed 27th in 1:09:35, with Alex Bell, the 2021 Olympic 800m finalist, next home in 30th (1:10:21). Just behind them, in 36th, was Julia Paternain, the former English Schools 3000m winner, who clocked a Uruguayan record of 1:10:42.

Today's run continues an extraordinary year for Ngetich. In January 2024 she became the first woman to break 29 minutes for 10km on the road, running a world record 28:46 in Valencia, and her half marathon best of 1:03:04, set on the same course later that year, remains the second-fastest in history behind Letesenbet Gidey's 1:02:52.

Ngetich said: "I was running this race for my mom. My coach believed in me and told me, that I could do it. That I could win the gold medal. So I am very happy and very grateful to now hold the world half marathon record too. And at the same time to be the world cross country champion. Adding up another medal is amazing."

Then, in January, she added the world cross country title in Tallahassee.

Ngetich's 1:05:15 moves her to tenth on the 2026 world list and stands as the fastest women-only mark in history.