Ngetich sets women-only half marathon world record in Copenhagen

Kenya’s Agnes Ngetich set a new women-only half marathon world record on Sunday (September 20), clocking 1:05:15 to win gold at the World Athletics Road Running Championships in Copenhagen.

The 25-year-old shaved one second off the previous women-only record of 1:05:16, set by fellow Kenyan Peres Jepchirchir when she won the world half marathon title in Gdynia in 2020.

Ngetich led from the start and finished 50 seconds ahead of compatriot Veronica Loleo.

The overall women’s half marathon world record remains 1:02:52, set by Ethiopia’s Letesenbet Gidey in 2021 in a mixed-gender race with male pacemakers.

Ngetich already holds the women-only 10km world record, having become the first woman to break 30 minutes in a women-only race with a time of 29:27 in Germany in April 2025. She also holds the mixed-race 10km world record of 28:46.