Kenyan Athlete Geoffrey Kamworor Broke the Half Marathon World Record
The athlete broke the world record by 17 seconds.
Seasoned Kenyan long distance runner, Geoffrey Kamworor, gave a stellar performance at the half marathon held in Copenhagen this past Sunday. Kamworor, who is a three-time World Half Marathon Champion, beat the previous record set by fellow Kenyan runner, Abraham Kiptum, by 17 seconds (58:01) according to BBC Sport.
Speaking about setting a new world record, Kamworor said, "It is very emotional for me to set this record. Doing it in Copenhagen, where I won my first world title, adds something to it." While the 26-year-old athlete was behind the world record in the first 5 kilometers of the race, he managed to close the gap in the final 11 kilometers.
According to Jon Mulkeen of the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF), Kamworor had prioritized beating the previous world record for the half marathon and passed on the opportunity to represent Kenya at the IAAF World Championships in Doha, Qatar, later on this month.
Kamworor clinched his first half marathon title back in 2014 and his third consecutive title just last year. He took home silver at the 2015 World Championships and came first in the New York City Marathon in 2017.
Watch the final moments of Kamworor's half marathon race in the video below: