Kenyan athlete Agnes Ngetich has set a new women’s-only half marathon world record after winning gold at the 2026 World Athletics Road Running Championships in Copenhagen, Denmark.

🇰🇪 Breaking It Down

Ngetich clocked 1:05:15 over the 21.1km distance, finishing one second faster than the previous women’s-only record of 1:05:16 set by compatriot Peres Jepchirchir in 2020.

The 25-year-old led from start to finish, opening a significant gap early in the race before maintaining her pace to secure the world title.

Fellow Kenyan Veronica Loleo finished second in 1:06:05, giving Kenya a one-two finish in the women’s half marathon.

📌 What You Need to Know

The record is special because it belongs to the women’s-only half marathon category, which excludes races where male pacemakers are used. Some faster women’s times have been recorded in mixed races, making Ngetich’s mark the fastest in the women-only category.

Before the race, Ngetich had spoken about her ambition to win the title in Copenhagen. “That would be the dream, to win here. We have a big line-up and, of course, everyone wants the title, but it would be my dream to win here,” she said.

Ngetich had already enjoyed a standout 2026 season, winning the senior women’s title at the World Cross Country Championships in Tallahassee before adding another global title in Copenhagen.

Kenya also claimed silver in the men’s half marathon through Nicholas Kipkorir, who clocked 58:11. Sweden’s Andreas Almgren won in 58:06, while Uganda’s Joshua Cheptegei was third in 58:26.

Earlier in the championships, Caroline Gitonga won silver in the women’s 5km in 14:48, while Mirriam Cherop took bronze in the women’s road mile in 4:25.71.

The results added to Kenya’s strong showing in Copenhagen, with the country having sent 16 athletes to compete in the road mile, 5km and half marathon events.

📰 Source: Kenyans.co.ke