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Half Marathon

World and Japan records, men and women — the progressions, the gap between them, and the full timeline.

Men · World
56:51
Yomif Kejelcha
Ethiopia · Buenos Aires · 23 Aug 2026
Women · World
1:02:52
Letesenbet Gidey
Ethiopia · Valencia · 24 Oct 2021
Men · Japan
59:27
Tomoki Ota
Japan · Marugame · 2 Feb 2025
Women · Japan
1:06:38
Hitomi Niiya
Japan · Houston · 19 Jan 2020

World Record

Men · World Record

Current56:51Yomif Kejelcha· 2026
DateTimeAthleteCountryLocation
23 Aug 202656:51Yomif KejelchaEthiopiaBuenos Aires
8 Mar 202657:20Jacob KiplimoUgandaLisbon
27 Oct 202457:30Yomif KejelchaEthiopiaValencia
21 Nov 202157:31Jacob KiplimoUgandaLisbon
6 Dec 202057:32Kibiwott KandieKenyaValencia
15 Sept 201958:01Geoffrey KamwororKenyaCopenhagen
21 Mar 201058:23Zersenay TadeseEritreaLisbon
17 Mar 200758:33Samuel WanjiruKenyaThe Hague
9 Feb 200758:53Samuel WanjiruKenyaRas al-Khaimah
11 Sept 200559:16Samuel WanjiruKenyaRotterdam
4 Apr 199859:17Paul TergatKenyaMilan
3 Apr 199359:47Moses TanuiKenyaMilan
15 Sept 19851:00:55Mark CurpUnited StatesPhiladelphia
11 Aug 19851:01:14Steve JonesGreat BritainBirmingham
25 Sept 19831:01:32Paul CummingsUnited StatesDayton
19 Sept 19821:01:36Michael MusyokiKenyaPhiladelphia
20 Sept 19811:01:47Herb LindsayUnited StatesManchester, VT
27 Jan 19801:02:16Stan MavisUnited StatesNew Orleans
7 Dec 19791:02:32Kirk PfefferUnited StatesLas Vegas
14 Oct 19791:02:36Nick RoseGreat BritainDayton
6 Feb 19771:02:57Miruts YifterEthiopiaCoamo
8 Feb 19761:03:46Juan Rafael Angel PerezCosta RicaCoamo
2 May 19701:03:53Derek GrahamIrelandBelfast
18 Jun 19661:05:42Pete RavaldGreat BritainFreckleton
19 Jun 19651:05:44Ron HillGreat BritainFreckleton

Japan Record

Men · Japan Record

Current59:27Tomoki Ota· 2025
DateTimeAthleteLocation
2 Feb 202559:27Tomoki OtaMarugame
2 Feb 20201:00:00Yusuke OguraMarugame
16 Sept 20171:00:17Yuta ShitaraUsti nad Labem
14 Oct 20071:00:25Atsushi SatoUdine
10 Jan 20001:00:30Kenichi TakahashiTokyo
6 Feb 19771:02:37Toshihiro MatsumotoBeppu

World vs Japan

Men · Current Gap
+2:36
World56:51Yomif Kejelcha
Japan59:27Tomoki Ota

Record progressions

Current
WR56:51Yomif Kejelcha· 2026
JPN59:27Tomoki Ota· 2025

The gap over time

+2:36Current
WR56:51Yomif Kejelcha· 2026
JPN59:27Tomoki Ota· 2025

The closer the line gets to zero, the closer Japan is to the world record; when it rises, the world record is pulling away. The gap is plotted at every record change — world or national — so the line always reflects the gap at that moment.

Record Timeline

DateTimeAthleteCountryLocationType
23 Aug 202656:51Yomif KejelchaEthiopiaBuenos AiresWorld Record
8 Mar 202657:20Jacob KiplimoUgandaLisbonWorld Record
2 Feb 202559:27Tomoki OtaJapanMarugameJapan Record
27 Oct 202457:30Yomif KejelchaEthiopiaValenciaWorld Record
21 Nov 202157:31Jacob KiplimoUgandaLisbonWorld Record
24 Oct 20211:02:52Letesenbet GideyEthiopiaValenciaWorld Record
29 Aug 20211:03:44Yalemzerf YehualawEthiopiaLarneWorld Record
4 Apr 20211:04:02Ruth ChepngetichKenyaIstanbulWorld Record
6 Dec 202057:32Kibiwott KandieKenyaValenciaWorld Record
21 Feb 20201:04:31Ababel YeshanehEthiopiaRas al-KhaimahWorld Record
2 Feb 20201:00:00Yusuke OguraJapanMarugameJapan Record
19 Jan 20201:06:38Hitomi NiiyaJapanHoustonJapan Record
15 Sept 201958:01Geoffrey KamwororKenyaCopenhagenWorld Record
22 Oct 20171:04:51Joyciline JepkosgeiKenyaValenciaWorld Record
16 Sept 20171:00:17Yuta ShitaraJapanUsti nad LabemJapan Record
1 Apr 20171:04:52Joyciline JepkosgeiKenyaPragueWorld Record
10 Feb 20171:05:06Peres JepchirchirKenyaRas al-KhaimahWorld Record
15 Feb 20151:05:09Florence KiplagatKenyaBarcelonaWorld Record
16 Feb 20141:05:12Florence KiplagatKenyaBarcelonaWorld Record
18 Feb 20111:05:50Mary KeitanyKenyaRas al-KhaimahWorld Record
21 Mar 201058:23Zersenay TadeseEritreaLisbonWorld Record
14 Oct 20071:06:25Lornah KiplagatNetherlandsUdineWorld Record
14 Oct 20071:00:25Atsushi SatoJapanUdineJapan Record
17 Mar 200758:33Samuel WanjiruKenyaThe HagueWorld Record
9 Feb 200758:53Samuel WanjiruKenyaRas al-KhaimahWorld Record
5 Feb 20061:07:26Kayoko FukushiJapanMarugameJapan Record
11 Sept 200559:16Samuel WanjiruKenyaRotterdamWorld Record
6 Jan 20041:07:47Mizuki NoguchiJapanMiyazakiJapan Record
6 Jan 20021:08:22Mizuki NoguchiJapanMiyazakiJapan Record
10 Jan 20001:00:30Kenichi TakahashiJapanTokyoJapan Record
15 Jan 19991:06:44Elana MeyerSouth AfricaTokyoWorld Record
4 Apr 199859:17Paul TergatKenyaMilanWorld Record
8 Mar 19981:07:29Elana MeyerSouth AfricaKyotoWorld Record
9 Mar 19971:07:36Elana MeyerSouth AfricaKyotoWorld Record
19 Mar 19951:07:58Uta PippigGermanyKyotoWorld Record
3 Apr 199359:47Moses TanuiKenyaMilanWorld Record
18 May 19911:07:59Elana MeyerSouth AfricaEast LondonWorld Record
19 Mar 19891:08:32Ingrid KristiansenNorwayNew BedfordWorld Record
15 Sept 19851:00:55Mark CurpUnited StatesPhiladelphiaWorld Record
11 Aug 19851:01:14Steve JonesGreat BritainBirminghamWorld Record
16 Sept 19841:08:34Joan BenoitUnited StatesPhiladelphiaWorld Record
25 Sept 19831:01:32Paul CummingsUnited StatesDaytonWorld Record
18 Sept 19831:09:14Joan BenoitUnited StatesPhiladelphiaWorld Record
19 Sept 19821:01:36Michael MusyokiKenyaPhiladelphiaWorld Record
15 May 19821:09:57Grete WaitzNorwayGothenburgWorld Record
20 Sept 19811:01:47Herb LindsayUnited StatesManchester, VTWorld Record
7 Mar 19811:11:16Joan BenoitUnited StatesSan DiegoWorld Record
18 Jan 19811:13:26Joan BenoitUnited StatesNew OrleansWorld Record
29 Mar 19801:13:59Marja WokkeNetherlandsThe HagueWorld Record
27 Jan 19801:02:16Stan MavisUnited StatesNew OrleansWorld Record
7 Dec 19791:02:32Kirk PfefferUnited StatesLas VegasWorld Record
14 Oct 19791:02:36Nick RoseGreat BritainDaytonWorld Record
23 Sept 19791:14:04Patti CatalanoUnited StatesManchester, VTWorld Record
10 Mar 19791:15:01Ellison GoodallUnited StatesWinston-SalemWorld Record
19 Nov 19781:15:58Miki GormanUnited StatesPasadenaWorld Record
6 Feb 19771:02:57Miruts YifterEthiopiaCoamoWorld Record
6 Feb 19771:02:37Toshihiro MatsumotoJapanBeppuJapan Record
8 Feb 19761:03:46Juan Rafael Angel PerezCosta RicaCoamoWorld Record
2 May 19701:03:53Derek GrahamIrelandBelfastWorld Record
18 Jun 19661:05:42Pete RavaldGreat BritainFreckletonWorld Record
19 Jun 19651:05:44Ron HillGreat BritainFreckletonWorld Record
Exhibit notes

The story of the record

The record, step by step

The half-marathon world record has fallen sharply since Ron Hill's 1:05:44 in 1965. In August 2026, Yomif Kejelcha ran 56:51 in Buenos Aires, taking 29 seconds off Jacob Kiplimo's 57:20; the mark is pending official ratification. The women's world record is Letesenbet Gidey's 1:02:52, set in Valencia in 2021.

Japan's progression

In 2020 Yusuke Ogura ran exactly 1:00:00 for the men's record, right on the edge of the hour; in 2025 Tomoki Ota broke through with 59:27, the first Japanese man under sixty minutes. The women's record passed from Mizuki Noguchi and Kayoko Fukushi to Hitomi Niiya, who ran 1:06:38 in 2020.