A half marathon is a road running event of kilometres ( 13 mi 192.5 yd)—half the distance of a marathon. It is common for a half marathon event to be held concurrently with a marathon or a 5K race, using almost the same course with a late start, an early finish, or shortcuts. If finisher medals are awarded, the medal or ribbon may differ from those for the full marathon. The half marathon is also known as a 21K, 21.1K, or 13.1 miles, although these values are rounded and not formally correct.
A half marathon world record is officially recognised by World Athletics. The men's world record time is 57:20, set by Jacob Kiplimo in 2026 in Lisbon. Kiplimo also ran 56:42 in Barcelona but this mark was not ratified by World Athletics due to his proximity to the lead car. The women's world record, in a mixed-gender race, is 1:02:52, set by Letesenbet Gidey of Ethiopia in October 2021 in Valencia, Spain. In a female-only race, the women's world record is 1:05:16, set by Peres Jepchirchir of Kenya in October 2020.
Participation in half marathons has grown steadily since 2003, partly because it is a challenging distance, but does not require the same level of training that a marathon does. The event grew in popularity leading to the eventual establishment of the World Athletics Road Running Championships in 1992, originally titled the IAAF World Half Marathon Championships.
Area records
- Updated 20 May 2026.
{| class="wikitable defaultleft col3center col6center"
|-
!scope="rowgroup" rowspan=2| Area
!scope="colgroup" colspan=3| Men
!scope="colgroup" colspan=3| Women
|-
!scope="col"| Time
!scope="col"| Season
!scope="col"| Athlete
!scope="col"| Time
!scope="col"| Season
!scope="col"| Athlete
|-
!scope="row"| World
| 57:20 || 2026 ||
| 1:02:52 || 2021 ||
|-
!colspan=7| Area records
|-
!scope="row"| Africa
| 57:20 || 2026 ||
| 1:02:52 || 2021 ||
|-
!scope="row"| Asia
| 58:23 || 2026 ||
| 1:05:22 || 2017 ||
|-
!scope="row"| Europe
| 58:41 || 2025 ||
| 1:05:15 || 2018 ||
|-
!scope="row"| North, Central America<br>and Caribbean
| 59:15 || 2025 ||
| 1:06:04 || 2026 ||
|-
!scope="row"| Oceania
| 59:47 || 2015 ||
| 1:07:11 || 2011 ||
|-
!scope="row"| South America
| 59:33 || 2007 ||
| 1:09:21 || 2025 ||
|}
All-time top 25
Men
- Correct .
{| class="wikitable sortable"
!Rank
!Time
!Athlete
!Date
!Place
!Ref
|-
!1
|56:42
|
|16 February 2025
|Barcelona
|
|-
!2
|57:30
|
|27 October 2024
|Valencia
|
|-
!3
| 57:32
|
| 6 December 2020
| Valencia
|
|-
!4
|57:41
|
|22 October 2023
|Valencia
|
|-
!5
|57:50
|
|22 October 2023
|Valencia
|
|-
!8
|58:02
|
|6 March 2022
|Rome–Ostia
|
|-
!9
|58:07
|
|24 October 2021
|Valencia
|
|-
!10
|58:08
|
|8 March 2026
|Lisboa
|
|-
!11
|58:10
|
|15 September 2024
|Copenhagen
|
|-
!12
| 58:11
|
| 6 December 2020
| Valencia
|
|-
!13
|58:16
|
|28 March 2026
|Prague
|
|-
!14
|58:17
|
|27 October 2024
|Valencia
|
|-
!rowspan=2|15
|rowspan=2|58:23
|
| 21 March 2010
| Lisbon
|
|-
|
|14 February 2026
|Ras Al Khaimah
|
|-
!17
|58:24
|
|14 September 2025
|Copenhagen
|
|-
!18
|58:27
|
|23 March 2025
|Malaga
|
|-
!19
|58:28
|
|24 October 2021
|Valencia
|
|-
|
| 28 October 2018
| Valencia
|
|-
!22
|58:35
|
|19 February 2022
|Ras al-Khaimah
|
|-
!23
|58:36
|
|19 February 2022
|Ras al-Khaimah
|
|-
!24
|58:38
|
|14 February 2026
|Ras Al Khaimah
|
|-
!rowspan=2|25
|rowspan=2|58:39
|
|27 October 2024
|Valencia
|
|-
|
|26 October 2025
|Valencia
|
|}
Notes
<small>Below is a list of other times equal or superior to 58:39:</small>
- Jacob Kiplimo also ran 57:20 (2026), 57:31 (2021), 57:37 (2020), 57:56 (2022) and 58:09 (2024).
- Kibiwott Kandie also ran 57:40 (2023), 58:10 (2022) and 58:38 (2020).
- Yomif Kejelcha also ran 57:41 (2023) 58:02 (2025) and 58:32 (2022).
- Sabastian Sawe also ran 58:05 (2024), 58:24 (2024) and 58:29 (2023).
- Hagos Gebrhiwet also ran 58:05 (2026).
- Geoffrey Kamworor also ran 58:14 (2026).
- Abraham Kiptum ran 58:18,
- Isaia Kipkoech Lasoi also ran 58:21 (2024).
- Nicholas Kipkorir Kimeli also ran 58:23 (2025).
- Daniel Mateiko also ran 58:26 (2021).
- Zersenay Tadese also ran 58:30<!-- alltime-athletics notes time as 58:31 --> (2011).
- Philemon Kiplimo also ran 58:34 (2021).
- Rodrigue Kwizera also ran 58:38 (2025).
<small>Performance annulled due to doping offences:</small>
{| class="wikitable"
!Time
!Athlete
!Date
!Place
!Ref
|-
| 57:49
|
| 6 December 2020
| Valencia
|
|-
| 58:30
|
| 19 February 2022
| Ras al-Khaimah
|
|}
Women
- Correct .
{| class="wikitable sortable"
!Rank
!Time
!Athlete
!Date
!Place
!Ref
|-
!1
|1:02:52
|
|24 October 2021
|Valencia
|
|-
!2
|1:03:04
|
|27 October 2024
|Valencia
|
|-
!3
|1:03:21
|
|27 October 2024
|Valencia
|
|-
!7
|1:04:02
|
|4 April 2021
|Istanbul
|
|-
!8
|1:04:13
|
|16 February 2025
|Barcelona
|
|-
!9
|1:04:14
|
|19 February 2022
|Ras al-Khaimah
|
|-
!10
|1:04:14
|
|27 October 2024
|Valencia
|
|-
!12
|1:04:22
|
|19 February 2022
|Ras al-Khaimah
|
|-
!14
|1:04:36
|
|19 February 2022
|Ras al-Khaimah
|
|-
!16
|1:04:37
|
|14 January 2024
|Houston
|
|-
!17
|1:04:40
|
|11 February 2024
|Barcelona
|
|-
!18
|1:04:44
|
|14 September 2025
|Copenhagen
|
|-
!19
|1:04:46
|
|22 October 2023
|Valencia
|
|-
!rowspan=2|20
|rowspan=2|1:04:49
|
|21 February 2020
|Ras al-Khaimah
|
|-
!22
|1:04:52
|
|9 February 2018
|Ras al-Khaimah
|
|-
!23
|1:04:53
|
|22 October 2023
|Valencia
|
- Joyciline Jepkosgei also ran 1:04:29 (2024), 1:04:46 (2023), 1:04:51 (2017) and 1:04:52 (2017).
- Brigid Kosgei also ran 1:04:50 (2020), 1:04:50 (2020) and 1:04:50 (2019, not legal).
World leading times
thumb|300px|The [[Chicago Half Marathon is a Chicago Marathon tune-up on Lake Shore Drive in the South Side of Chicago.]]
thumb|300px|Runners taking part in the [[Bristol Half Marathon]]
This table lists the best half marathon performances per year since 1970, as recorded by the ARRS.
{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders sticky-header sortable" style="font-size:95%;"
|-
!scope="col"|Year
!scope="col"|Time
!scope="col"|Men
!scope="col"|Place
!scope="col"|Time
!scope="col"|Women
!scope="col"|Place
|-
!scope="row"|1970
|
|
|Belfast
|
|
|
|-
!scope="row"|1971
|
|
|Freckleton
|
|
|Phoenix
|-
!scope="row"|1972
|
|
|Coamo
|
|
|San Diego
|-
!scope="row"|1973
|
|
|Maracaibo
|
|
|
|-
!scope="row"|1974
|
|
|Wieze
|
|
|Ay
|-
!scope="row"|1975
|
|
|Grevenmacher
|
|
|
|-
!scope="row"|1976
|
|
|Coamo
|
|
|Nazaré
|-
!scope="row"|1977
|
|
|Beppu
|
|
|Milan
|-
!scope="row"|1978
|
|
|Welwyn Garden City
|
|
|San Diego
|-
!scope="row"|1979
|
|
|Las Vegas
|
|
|Manchester
|-
!scope="row"|1980
|
|
|New Orleans
|
|
|The Hague
|-
!scope="row"|1981
|
|
|Manchester
|
|
|San Diego
|-
!scope="row"|1982
|
|
|Philadelphia
|
|
|Gothenburg
|-
!scope="row"|1983
|
|
|Dayton
|
|
|Philadelphia
|-
!scope="row"|1984
|
|
|Milan
|
|
|Philadelphia
|-
!scope="row"|1985
|
|
|Philadelphia
|
|
|Philadelphia
|-
!scope="row"|1986
|
|
|South Shields
|
|
|Drammen
|-
!scope="row"|1987
|
|
|Barnsley
|
|
|Sandnes
|-
!scope="row"|1988
|
|
|South Shields
|
|
|South Shields
|-
!scope="row"|1989
|
|
|Durban
|
|
|New Bedford
|-
!scope="row"|1990
|
|
|South Shields
|
|
|South Shields
|-
!scope="row"|1991
|
|
|Milan
|
|
|East London
|-
!scope="row"|1992
|
|
|South Shields
|
|
|Dundee
|-
!scope="row"|1993
|
|
|Milan
|
|
|St Petersburg
|-
!scope="row"|1994
|
|
|South Shields
|
|
|Kyoto
|-
!scope="row"|1995
|
|
|Lisbon
|
|
|Kyoto
|-
!scope="row"|1996
|
|
|Ivry-sur-Seine
|
|
|Paris
|-
!scope="row"|1997
|
|
|Košice
|
|
|Kyoto
|-
!scope="row"|1998
|
|
|Milan
|
|
|Kyoto
|-
!scope="row"|1999
|
|
|Milan
|
|
|Tokyo
|-
!scope="row"|2000
|
|
|Tokyo
|
|
|South Shields
|-
!scope="row"|2001
|
|
|Berlin
|
|
|Bristol
|-
!scope="row"|2002
|
|
|Lisbon
|
|
|South Shields
|-
!scope="row"|2003
|
|
|South Shields
|
|
|South Shields
|-
!scope="row"|2004
|
|
|South Shields
|
|
|South Shields
|-
!scope="row"|2005
|
|
|South Shields
|
|
|South Shields
|-
!scope="row"|2006
|
|
|Tempe
|
|
|Berlin
|-
!scope="row"|2007
|
|
|The Hague
|
|
|Udine
|-
!scope="row"|2008
|
|<br />
|Lisbon<br />New Delhi
|
|
|Marugame
|-
!scope="row"|2009
|
|
|Ras al-Khaimah
|
|
|Birmingham
|-
!scope="row"|2010
|
|
|Lisbon
|
|
|Ras al-Khaimah
|-
!scope="row"|2011
|
|
|Lisbon
|
|
|Ras al-Khaimah
|-
!scope="row"|2012
|
|
|Prague
|
|
|Ras al-Khaimah
|-
!scope="row"|2013
|
|
|Ras al-Khaimah
|
|
|Ras al-Khaimah
|-
!scope="row"|2014
|
|
|Valencia
|
|
|Barcelona
|-
!scope="row"|2015
|
|
|Valencia
|
|
|Barcelona
|-
!scope="row"|2016
|
|
|Ostia
|
|
|Prague
|-
!scope="row"|2017
|
|
|Copenhagen
|
|
|Valencia
|-
!scope="row"|2018
|
|
|Valencia
|
|
|Ras al-Khaimah
|-
!scope="row"|2019
|
|
|Copenhagen
|
|
|Manama
|-
!scope="row"|2020
|
|
|Valencia
|
|
|Ras al-Khaimah
|-
!scope="row"|2021
|
|
|Lisbon
|
|
|Valencia
|-
!scope="row"|2022
|
|
|Ras al-Khaimah
|
|
|Ras al-Khaimah
|-
!scope="row"|2023
|
|
|Valencia
|
|
|Barcelona
|-
!scope="row"|2024
|
|
|Valencia
|
|
|Valencia
|-
!scope="row"|2025
|
|
|Barcelona
|
|
|Valencia
|}
The largest half marathon ever held was Broloppet (the Bridge race) between Copenhagen in Denmark and Malmö in Sweden with finishers, held in connection with the Øresund Bridge inauguration in 2000.
See also
- List of half marathon races
- World Athletics Half Marathon Championships
- Mini marathon
- Quarter marathon
- Half marathon world record progression
- One hour run
Notes
References
Further reading
External links
- IAAF list of half-marathon records in XML