Half marathon national records and PBs fall in Catalan capital.

This year’s edition of the Barcelona Half Marathon didn’t quite produce the fireworks sparked by Jacob Kiplimo 12 months ago, but two world leads were still set and a number of national records and personal bests tumbled in the Catalan capital on Sunday (February 15).

Only recently did World Athletics confirm that Kiplimo’s seemingly world record-breaking performance of 56:42 from last February would not be ratified due to him gaining a pacing advantage from the lead car. 

Yomif Kejelcha’s mark of 57:30 remains the official record for now and, while that mark survived this time around, his fellow Ethiopian Hagos Gebrhiwet charged to victory in Barcelona in a time of 58:05, overtaking the world lead of 58:14 set by Geoffrey Kamworor barely 24 hours earlier in Ras Al Khaimah. 

Gebrhiwet, the 2016 Olympic 5000m bronze medallist and fifth placer at Paris 2024 who will make his marathon debut in London in April, pulled away in the latter stages and finished with plenty of room to spare. Behind him, the South Sudanese-born Dominic Lobalu, who now competes for Switzerland, moved to joint third on the European all-time list with his run of 59:26.  

In third, Emmanuel Roudolff’s 59:37 not only put him sixth on the European all-time list but also took down Morhad Amdouni’s French record of 59:40 from 2020. There was an Australian record, too, for the sixth-placed Jack Rayner as he clocked 59:53 to break Brett Robinson’s 59:57. 

There was a raft of PBs for the strong British contingent competing, too. Zak Mahamad finished eighth in 60:46 (his previous best was 61:43), while his brother Mahamed Mahamed continued his preparations for London with 61:09 for 11th, beating his best by seven seconds. 

In finishing 17th with 61:19, Tewelde Menges removed over two-and-a-half minutes from his PB of 63:51 and Andy Butchart, who set a Scottish 10km record of 27:42 in Valencia in January, was 21st in 61:45. His PB had been 62:15.

In the women’s race, Loice Chemnung set a world lead and took down the course record with her run of 64:01, the Kenyan Chicago Marathon fourth placer from last year moving to sixth on the all-time list after leading from start to finish. 

Weini Kelati Frezghi of the USA was second in 66:04, breaking her own American record by five seconds, while Ethiopia’s Diniya Abraya completed the top three with 66:28.

Samantha Harrison was the first British finisher, coming ninth in 69:00, while Jess Warner-Judd was 11th in 70:77, Louise Small finished 12th thanks to a big PB of 70:23 and Jessica Martin was 14th in 70:54.