By Courtesy/ World Athletics
Kenya’s Agnes Ngetich produced another dominant performance on Sunday, September 20, 2026, winning the women’s half marathon at the World Athletics Road Running Championships in Copenhagen in a world-record 1:05:15*.
Ngetich, who won the world cross-country title in Tallahassee, USA, in January, added the half marathon crown to her growing list of global honours after finishing 50 seconds ahead of compatriot Veronica Loleo.
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The victory also saw Ngetich lower the women-only world half marathon record by one second. The previous mark of 1:05:16 was set by fellow Kenyan Peres Jepchirchir when she won the world half marathon title in Gdynia, Poland, in 2020.
Ngetich seized control of Sunday’s race from the start, opening a 10-second lead by the 5km mark, which she reached in 15:12.
She extended her advantage to 26 seconds by 10km, clocking 30:39, before increasing the gap to 53 seconds at 15km, reached in 46:17.
A group of eight athletes attempted to stay within striking distance, with Rwanda’s Florence Niyonkuru running alongside Kenya’s Daisilah Jerono and USA’s Emma Grace Hurley. The chasing pack passed the 15km mark in 47:10.
Ngetich continued to pull away, reaching 20km in 1:01:56 with a 51-second advantage.
There was no catching the Kenyan in the final stretch as she crossed the finish line in 1:05:15, raising her arms in celebration after securing her second global title of the year.
Loleo claimed silver in 1:06:05, while Niyonkuru took bronze in a national record of 1:06:08, finishing five seconds ahead of Jerono.
-Subject to World Athletics ratification.
