Agnes Ngetich Half Marathon World Record Seals Copenhagen Gold
Agnes Ngetich Half Marathon World Record Comes With Global Gold
Kenya鈥檚 Agnes Jebet Ngetich produced a commanding performance in Copenhagen on Sunday, September 20, winning the women鈥檚 half marathon at the World Athletics Road Running Championships and setting a new women-only world record of 1:05:15. The mark is subject to the usual ratification procedure.
Ngetich controlled the race from the opening stages and never surrendered the lead. She reached the 5km mark in 15:12, already 10 seconds clear of the chasing group. By 10km, her advantage had grown to 26 seconds, with the Kenyan clocking 30:39.
The 25-year-old continued to extend the gap through the second half of the race. She passed 15km in 46:17, holding a 53-second advantage, before reaching 20km in 1:01:56. Ngetich eventually crossed the finish line in 1:05:15 to secure the world title.
Agnes Ngetich Half Marathon World Record Breaks Kenyan Record
Ngetich鈥檚 Copenhagen performance improved the previous women-only half marathon world record by one second. The earlier mark of 1:05:16 belonged to fellow Kenyan Peres Jepchirchir, who set it while winning the 2020 World Half Marathon Championships in Gdynia.
The distinction between a women-only record and the overall women鈥檚 world record is important. The overall record remains 1:02:52, set by Ethiopia鈥檚 Letesenbet Gidey in Valencia in 2021. Ngetich herself has a personal best of 1:03:04, recorded in Valencia in 2024.
Agnes Ngetich Half Marathon World Record Adds Another Major Title
The Copenhagen victory adds another significant achievement to an already impressive 2026 season for Ngetich.
She won the women鈥檚 race at the World Cross Country Championships in Tallahassee in January, giving her a first individual global title. She arrived in Copenhagen as the reigning world cross-country champion and the world record-holder over 10km.
Her Copenhagen victory also saw Kenya take the top two positions. Veronica Loleo finished second in 1:06:05, while Rwanda鈥檚 Florence Niyonkuru took bronze in a national-record 1:06:08. Kenya鈥檚 Daisilah Jerono finished fourth in 1:06:13.
Ngetich鈥檚 victory therefore combined a global championship title with a new women-only world record. Her aggressive start, sustained pace and ability to keep increasing the gap turned the Copenhagen race into another landmark moment in her rapidly developing career.
