In track and field, performances are usually measured down to the thousandth of a second. And the world records achieved by athletes are governed by World Athletics, which is the sport’s global governing body. There are several processes that take time to get to the record books, and one of the historic half-marathon runs’ verdicts came recently.

As reported by Citius Mag on Instagram, this Monday, World Athletics confirmed that Ugandan star Jacob Kiplimo’s stunning 56:42 half-marathon, set at last year’s Barcelona Half Marathon, would not be ratified as a world record. The reason behind it?

Race footage showed the 25-year-old running approximately 10 to 20 meters behind the vehicle, displaying the race clock for the duration of the event. This was deemed to provide illegal pacing assistance in violation of Article 6.3.1 of the Technical Rules, which prohibits aid from anyone not participating in the same race or from any technical device.

“I am very excited about what I did today. I started strong; I wanted to have a great race, but I didn’t expect to break the world record. I started very strong in the first two kilometers to get away from my rivals. As the kilometers passed and I saw that I was going at record pace, I told myself that I had to maintain that pace no matter what it took,” he said, following the event in Barcelona, unaware of the future.

So, in the category, Ethiopia’s Yomif Kejelcha will still be the man to beat with his record from the 2024 Valencia Half Marathon, where he ran 57:30. And this decision from World Athletics comes just as both athletes prepare for a monumental showdown on a larger stage.

Kiplimo and Kejelcha are key entrants in a star-studded field for the 2026 TCS London Marathon on April 26. The Ugandan will arrive as a formidable runner, as last season he ended with a 2:02:23 at the Chicago Marathon. For the Ethiopian, he will make his anticipated marathon debut. However, Kiplimo’s situation isn’t the first time in the sport.

World Athletics has a long history in this subject

Jacob Kiplimo’s case is one of the most recent examples of a record that was denied ratification by World Athletics. Indeed, there’s more! Long delays happen due to various processes that confirm the legitimacy of a time set by these athletes.

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Circumstances can take years to resolve, such as Kenyan runner Rhonex Kipruto, who had his 2020 10km world record stripped in 2024. The athlete’s blood samples revealed a complex doping regime, and there were allegations of involvement with unidentified third parties. So, the runner was given a six-year ban.

Another Kenyan athlete, Kibiwott Kandie, who was also a former half-marathon record holder, was suspended by World Athletics for not providing the requested doping samples. His ban was announced last year on March 14, when the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) confirmed that the runner was being investigated for “evading, refusing, or failing to submit to sample collection.”

However, this pattern isn’t new. Many Kenyan athletes have been under the World Athletics’ watch as the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) flagged the nation as a high-risk country.

So, even if Kiplimo’s world record wasn’t ratified, his participation in the upcoming event will attract many eyes, as they will look forward to his redemption through a terrific performance.