Geoffrey Kamworor took 17 seconds off the world record at the Copenhagen Half Marathon on Sunday (15), winning the IAAF Gold Label road race in 58:01*.

The 26-year-old Kenyan returned to the Danish capital, the scene of his first of three world half-marathon titles, in a bid to improve on the world record of 58:18 set in Valencia last year by Abraham Kiptum.

Outside of his appearances at the World Half Marathon Championships, it was Kamworor’s first 13.1-mile race since November 2014. His goal of breaking the world record was such an important target that he passed up the opportunity to compete at the IAAF World Athletics Championships Doha 2019.

He had won nine of his 13 career half marathons and had a lifetime best of 58:54.

“It is very emotional for me to set this record,” said Kamworor. “And doing it in Copenhagen, where I won my first world title, adds something to it.”

Kamworor’s progression

5000m, 10,000m, half marathon, marathon
2010: 13:42.01
2011: 13:12.23, 27:06.35, 59:31
2012: 13:28.8, -, 59:26, 2:06:12
2013: -, 28:17.0A, 58:54, 2:06:26
2014: -, -, 59:07, 2:06:39
2015: 13:13.28, 26:52.65, 2:10:48
2016: 12:59.98, 27:31.94, 59:10
2017: 13:01.35, 26:57.77, -, 2:10:53
2018: -, -, 1:00:02, 2:06:26, 2:06:26
2019: -, 27:24.76A, 58:01

World half marathon record progression

Twenty-five years have passed since the first sub-60-minute half marathon. Just two seconds now stand in the way of history’s first sub-58-minute performance.

59:47 Moses Tanui (KEN) Milan 3 April 1993
59:17 Paul Tergat (KEN) Milan 4 April 1998
59:16 Samuel Wanjiru (KEN) Rotterdam 11 September 2005
58:55 Haile Gebrselassie (ETH) Tempe 15 January 2006
58:33 Samuel Wanjiru (KEN) The Hague 17 March 2007
58:23 Zersenay Tadese (ERI) Lisbon 21 March 2010
58:18 Abraham Kiptum (KEN) Valencia 28 October 2018
58:01 Geoffrey Kamworor (KEN) Copenhagen 15 September 2019