Agnes Ngetich Makes History With Women-Only Half Marathon World Record

Kenyan star wins world title in Copenhagen and takes another world record off compatriot Peres Jepchirchir

Kenyan distance-running star Agnes Ngetich has added another world record to her growing list of achievements, producing a spectacular performance at the World Road Running Championships in Copenhagen.

The 25-year-old crossed the finish line in 1:05:15 to win the women’s half marathon gold medal and set a new women-only half marathon world record.

Ngetich’s time was one second faster than the previous women-only record of 1:05:16, set by fellow Kenyan Peres Jepchirchir when she won the world half marathon title in 2020.

Ngetich Delivers on the Biggest Stage

Ngetich entered the race with both a world title and history in her sights.

She maintained her pace throughout the Copenhagen course before producing the performance required to take gold and rewrite the women’s-only record.

After the race, the Kenyan revealed that her coach had played an important role in building her confidence before the competition.

“My coach believed in me and told me that I could do it.”

Ngetich said she was delighted to win the gold medal and become the women’s-only half marathon world-record holder.

Another Record for Kenya’s Rising Star

The latest achievement adds to Ngetich’s extraordinary record-breaking career.

In April 2025, she became the first woman to run 10km in under 30 minutes in a women-only race when she clocked 29:27.

She had already made history in Valencia in 2024, running 28:46 in a mixed race to become the first woman to break the 29-minute barrier over 10km.

Her latest achievement confirms her status as one of Kenya’s leading distance runners.

Overall Half Marathon Record Still Belongs to Gidey

While Ngetich now holds the women’s-only half marathon record, the overall women’s world record remains with Ethiopia’s Letesenbet Gidey.

Gidey ran 1:02:52 in 2021, a mark that remains significantly faster than Ngetich’s Copenhagen time.

The distinction is important because women’s-only and mixed-race records are tracked separately in road running.

Ngetich’s achievement nevertheless represents a major milestone in women’s athletics.

Track Ambition for 2027

Ngetich is already looking beyond her latest road-running success.

The Kenyan says she intends to return to track competition in 2027, when the World Athletics Championships will provide another opportunity to pursue the one major prize she believes is missing from her collection.

Her ambition is straightforward: win a world championship gold medal on the track.

“It is my dream to win a gold medal on the track. It is the only one I am missing.”

That ambition could mark the beginning of another chapter in an already remarkable career.

Almgren Breaks European Record

The Copenhagen championships also produced a major achievement in the men’s half marathon.

Sweden’s Andreas Almgren won the men’s race in 58:06, breaking his own European record by an impressive 35 seconds.

The performance added another record-breaking moment to a championship dominated by exceptional road-running performances.

African360 Sports Analysis

Agnes Ngetich’s latest achievement is another reminder of the extraordinary depth of East African distance running.

What makes her progression particularly notable is the speed with which she has established herself among the world’s leading road runners.

Her record-breaking performances over 10km and now the half marathon show an athlete capable of competing across multiple distances while continuing to improve.

But Ngetich is not stopping with road racing. Her stated ambition to return to the track in 2027 gives her career another major target.

For Kenyan athletics, her rise provides another potential world-class star capable of competing for global honours across both road and track events.

Copenhagen has given Ngetich another world record. The next challenge could be a world title on the track.

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