Jacob Kiplimo (born 14 November 2000) is a Ugandan long-distance runner. At the 2020 Tokyo Olympic and the 2022 World Athletics Championships, Kiplimo won a bronze medal in the 10,000 m events. Kiplimo won gold medals in the 5000 m and 10,000 m events at the 2022 Commonwealth Games, and he won a silver and gold medal at the 2019 and 2023 World Cross Country Championships, respectively. He was also the winner of the 2020 World Half Marathon, and is the current world record holder in the half marathon, which he set in 2025 with a time of 56:42.

At age 15, he represented his country at the 2016 Rio Olympics, becoming the youngest ever Olympian for Uganda. He was the 2017 World Cross Country junior champion. Kiplimo is also the Ugandan record holder for the 3000 metres.

Early life

Kiplimo was born on 14 November 2000.[1] A member of the Sebei ethnic group, he grew up in Kween on Mount Elgon, living at a high altitude.[2] His family grew maize. As a young child, Kiplimo would watch his older brothers train for athletic events. He would also travel to school by running a distance of 5 km. Kiplimo won a selection trial for the World Mountain Running Championships in 2015 but was not allowed to compete due to his age. Kiplimo then moved to Italy and began competing in events. After winning a 2017 cross country event in Uganda, he moved back.[3]

At the age of fifteen, Kiplimo won the 10,000 metres bronze medal at the 2016 IAAF World U20 Championships behind fellow East Africans Rodgers Kwemoi and Aron Kifle. He ran 5000 metres in Rome that May at 13:24:40 minutes, which was a qualifying time for the Olympics. Kiplimo was then selected for 2016 Summer Olympics.[2] Before the 2016 Rio Olympics, he improved his 5000 m best to 13:19.54 minutes. As the youngest entrant to the competition, he ran in the Olympic heats only, recording a time of 13:30.40 minutes for 11th in his race.[4] He was the youngest ever competitor for Uganda at the Olympic Games.[5][6]

At 16, Kiplimo won gold in the men's U20 race at the 2017 World Cross Country Championships in Kampala, the country's first-ever gold medal at a World Cross, covering a 8 km course in 22:40 minutes.[7] He won the San Silvestre Vallecana 10 km road race in Madrid in a time of 26:41 on 31 December 2018. The course had an elevation drop, making it ineligible for world record status.[8]

Career

2019

At the Ugandan Cross Country Championships on 16 February in Tororo, Kiplimo defeated Joshua Cheptegei by placing first and second, respectively. In the men's senior race over 10 km, Kiplimo won by an 11-second lead over the 10,000 m world championship runner-up.[9]

At the World Cross Country Championships in Aarhus, Denmark, Kiplimo finished second in the senior men's race four seconds after Joshua Cheptegei's winning time of 31:40. He won the gold medal in the teams ranking with Cheptegei from Uganda.[10]

Kiplimo did not run in the 10,000 metres at the World Athletics Championships in Doha because of an injury.[11][12]

On 31 December, Kiplimo ran the Saint Silvester Road Race (15 km) in São Paulo and was beaten by Kibiwott Kandie at the finish line. Kandie won in 42:59, a new course record, with Kiplimo finishing in 43:00.[13]

2020

On 8 September, Kiplimo won the 5000 m run in Ostrava, Czech Republic in a time of 12:48.63 and improved his personal best of 13:13.64 set as a 16-year-old at the 2017 Prefontaine Classic. Selemon Barega was the runner up with a time 12:49.08, while his personal best of 12:43.02 was the fifth-fastest ever at the time.[14] On 17 September, Kiplimo won a Diamond League 3000 m run in Rome with a time of 7:26.64.[15] Kiplimo won the Half Marathon World Championship in a time of 58:49 on 17 October in Gdynia, Poland. His time was a Ugandan record and championship record.[16]

On 6 December, he competed in the Valencia Half Marathon against Kibiwott Kandie, Rhonex Kipruto, and Alexander Mutiso. They all broke the previous world record of 58:01, set by Geoffrey Kamworor in 2019. Kandie set the new world record time at 57:32. Kiplimo placed second in the race with a time of 57:37.[17]

2021

On 21 March 2021, Kiplimo competed at the Campaccio cross country race in San Giorgio su Legnano, Italy. Despite falling during the ninth kilometer of the race, he won a 10 km in 29:07. Ethiopia's Nibret Melak finished second, and Kiplimo's younger brother Oscar Chelimo finished third.[18] On 19 May, Kiplimo returned to the track racing 10,000 m at the 60th Ostrava Golden Spike. He pulled away from Bahrain's Birhanu Balew to win the race. Kiplimo finished in a personal best time of 26:33.93, which made him the seventh-fastest 10,000 m performer of all time and the second-fastest Ugandan in history over the distance behind world record holder Joshua Cheptegei's 26:11.00.[19]

On 21 November 2021, Kiplimo set a half marathon world record at 57:31 in Lisbon.[20] His record was broken by Yomif Kejelcha, who ran a time of 57:30 at the 2024 Valencia Half Marathon.[21]

2023

On 18 February, Kiplimo won the gold medal in the 10-kilometer race at the World Cross Country Championships held in Bathurst, Australia with a time of 29:17. Ethiopian Berihu Aregawi finished second in 29:26 followed by Joshua Cheptegei (29:37), world record holder for the 5000 m and 10,000 m, who had been defending his title from Aarhus 2019.[22]

2025

On 16 February, Kiplimo regained the world record in the half marathon, finishing the Barcelona Half Marathon in 56 minutes and 42 seconds.[23]

Achievements

All information from World Athletics profile.[1]

Personal bests

Road

International competitions

Representing  Uganda
Year Competition Venue Position Event Result
2016 World U20 Championships Bydgoszcz, Poland 3rd 10,000 m 27:26.68 PB
Olympic Games Rio de Janeiro, Brazil 26th (h) 5000 m 13:30.40
2017 World Cross Country Championships Kampala, Uganda 1st Junior race 22:40
4th Junior team 59 pts
World Championships London, United Kingdom 22nd (h) 5000 m 13:30.92
2018 Commonwealth Games Gold Coast, Australia 4th 10,000 m 27:30.25
World U20 Championships Tampere, Finland 6th 5,000 m 13:23.35
2nd 10,000 m 27:40.36
2019 World Cross Country Championships Aarhus, Denmark 2nd Senior race 31:44
1st Team 20 pts
2020 World Half Marathon Championships Gdynia, Poland 1st Half marathon 58:49 CR
2021 Olympic Games Tokyo, Japan 5th 5,000 m 13:02.40
3rd 10,000 m 27:43.88
2022 World Championships Eugene, OR, United States 3rd 10,000 m 27:27.97
Commonwealth Games Birmingham, United Kingdom 1st 5000 m 13:08.08 SB
1st 10,000 m 27:09.19 SB GR
2023 World Cross Country Championships Bathurst, Australia 1st Senior race 29:17
3rd Team 37 pts
2024 Olympic Games Paris, France 8th 10,000 m 26:46.39
Road races
2015 We Run Rome Rome, Italy 3rd 10 km 28:49
2016 Cuneo ASICS Run Cuneo, Italy 1st 10 km 28:26
2018 Giro al Sas Trento, Italy 1st 10 km 28:17
San Silvestre Vallecana Madrid, Spain 1st 10 km 26:41
2019 Great Manchester Run Manchester, United Kingdom 1st 10 km 27:31
MTN Kampala Half Marathon Kampala, Uganda 1st Half marathon 1:01:53
Saint Silvester Road Race São Paulo, Brazil 2nd 15 km 43:00
2020 Valencia Half Marathon Valencia, Spain 2nd Half marathon 57:37
2021 Lisbon Half Marathon Lisbon, Portugal 1st Half marathon 57:31
2022 Ras Al Khaimah Half Marathon Ras Al Khaimah, United Arab Emirates 1st Half marathon 57:56
Great North Run Newcastle, United Kingdom 1st Half marathon 59:33
2023 New York City Half Marathon New York, NY, United States 1st Half marathon 1:01:31
2025 Barcelona Half Marathon Barcelona, Spain 1st Half marathon 56:42

Circuit wins

References

  1. ^ a b "Jacob KIPLIMO – Athlete Profile". World Athletics. Retrieved 1 January 2023.
  2. ^ a b Peter, Simon. "15-year old Jacob Kiplimo could cause a surprise at Rio 2016 Olympics". Uganda Eagle. Retrieved 16 February 2025.
  3. ^ Dennehy, Cathal. "Kiplimo's rise continues with first senior world title". World Athletics. Retrieved 16 February 2025.
  4. ^ Jacob Kiplimo. IAAF. Retrieved on 21 August 2016.
  5. ^ Jacob Kiplimo Archived 26 August 2016 at the Wayback Machine. Rio2016. Retrieved on 21 August 2016.
  6. ^ INEOS. "Jacob Kiplimo". www.ineos159challenge.com. Retrieved 7 October 2019.[permanent dead link‍]
  7. ^ "Kiplimo captures Uganda's first world cross gold – IAAF World Championships Kampala 2017 | REPORT | World Athletics".
  8. ^ "Kiplimo clocks 26:41 over 10km in Madrid while Kosgei and Obiri crack 30". World Athletics. Retrieved 16 February 2025.
  9. ^ "Kiplimo defeats Cheptegei at Ugandan Cross Country Championships| News | iaaf.org". www.iaaf.org. Retrieved 5 May 2019.
  10. ^ "Senior Race Result | IAAF World Cross Country Championships Aarhus 2019 | iaaf.org". www.iaaf.org. Retrieved 12 April 2019.
  11. ^ "Entry Lists by COUNTRY and EVENT" (PDF). International Association of Athletics Federations. 2 September 2019. Retrieved 16 October 2019.
  12. ^ Kazibwe, Edgar (7 October 2019). "Cheptegei 'proud', rues Kiplimo's absence in Gold medal winning show | 2019 IAAF World Championships". Kawowo Sports. Retrieved 16 October 2019.
  13. ^ Gleeson, Scott. "Olympic runner prematurely celebrates near finish line, blows race and chance at record". USA TODAY. Retrieved 24 March 2020.
  14. ^ "2020 Ostrava Golden Spike Recap: Jacob Kiplimo Comes From Behind to Stun Selemon Barega in Thrilling 5,000 as Both Men Break 12:50 - LetsRun.com". www.letsrun.com. 8 September 2020. Retrieved 17 October 2020.
  15. ^ Koiki, Tunde. "Kiplimo wins epic 3000m showdown in Rome Diamond League". News Central Africa. Retrieved 16 February 2025.
  16. ^ "Cheptegei fick stryk på VM i halvmaraton". SVT Sport (in Swedish). 17 October 2020. Retrieved 17 October 2020.
  17. ^ Snider-Mcgrath, Ben (6 December 2020). "By the umbers: Kibiwott Kandie's record-shattering run in Valencia". Canadian Running Magazine. Running Magazine. Retrieved 7 December 2020.
  18. ^ "Kiplimo and Gemechu reign supreme at Campaccio cross country | REPORTS | World Athletics".
  19. ^ "10,000 Metres – men – senior – outdoor".
  20. ^ "Kiplimo breaks world half marathon record in Lisbon". World Athletics. Retrieved 21 November 2021.
  21. ^ "Kejelcha breaks world half marathon record in Valencia | REPORTS | World Athletics". worldathletics.org. Retrieved 27 October 2024.
  22. ^ "Kiplimo is 2023 World Cross-Country champion". Monitor. 18 February 2023. Retrieved 20 February 2023.
  23. ^ Puleo, Mark. "Half marathon world record shattered: Jacob Kiplimo becomes first man to break 57 minutes". The New York Times. Retrieved 16 February 2025.
Records
Preceded by Men's half marathon world record holder
21 November 2021 – present 		Succeeded by
Incumbent
Allikas: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jacob_Kiplimo
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