Kiplimo breaks the World Record in Barcelona, Spain. PHOTO/COURTESY
What you need to know:
Kapchorwa’s highlands to the world’s grandest stages, Kiplimo’s ascent continues – yet beyond the world’s fastest half marathoner remains a humble man who still sees himself as a student of the sport
London is calling. And the world knows. The man himself knows even better.
To prepare for his highly anticipated full marathon debut in England on April 27 – where he’ll line up alongside legends like Eliud Kipchoge, Kenenisa Bekele, and Tamirat Tola – Jacob Kiplimo put in a solid Half Marathon warm-up in Barcelona in February.
Solid? Blimey! That doesn’t even begin to describe it. The 24-year-old didn’t just run well – he shattered Ethiopia’s Yomif Kejelcha’s world record from Valencia last October by a massive 48 seconds, blitzing through the 21km in an astonishing 56 minutes and 42 seconds.
Wait – let’s take a moment to put that into perspective. Imagine driving through a school zone where the speed limit is 40 km/hr. Now, picture a man running alongside you – matching your pace, step for step.
At two minutes and 41 seconds per kilometre, Kiplimo was averaging about 22.4 km/hr, meaning if you hesitated on the accelerator, he’d be overtaking you on foot. That’s not just running. That’s flying. And that’s Kiplimo.
“I am very excited about what I did today,” said the former 10,000m Olympic and World Championships bronze medallist after reclaiming his record.
“I started very strong in the first two kilometres to get away from my rivals. As the kilometres 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.”
Humility
Focused and assertive, yet behind that confidence lies a young man that embodies humility. “He is a humble spirit,” said coach Peter Chelangat, who works with Kiplimo in Kapchorwa at the sports management agency, Rosa Associati, and Nike camp.
“He motivates others and has a kind heart. Above all, Jacob is very disciplined. He is early for everything. I’m privileged to work with him.”
Chelangat will not take all the credit for coaching Kiplimo, saying the Ugandan great is a product of many hands.
“The Rosa Associati provides everything for Jacob here and all the athletes under this management,” explained Chelangat.
Chelangat was speaking with the team from the Daily Monitor that travelled to Sebei in February to document stories of the region’s sons and daughters, who have – countless times – put Uganda on the world map.
Where they are bred
On the day, Chelangat stood on the inside frame of the soccer pitch counting down his runners – male and female – as they did speed work on the dusty Chemwania running track in Kween District.
Among these runners at this remote, dusty ground was Kiplimo and Tokyo 2020 Olympic champion Peruth Chemutai, who is under the management of Global Sports Communications.
Locals watched as the collection of global stars put in their paces. If you drove past, you would never know this place was awash with world medals. Heck, not even Kiplimo knew this speed work in the humble Chemwania was a means to shattering that world record in Barcelona.
“I wanted to have a great race, but I didn’t expect to break the world record,” he admitted afterwards.
We are talking about a man who was already a two-time world cross-country champion, and former half marathon global record holder going into that eventual historic Barcelona run.
Coaching Kiplimo
This is no ordinary man, and you have got to have your game up if you are to earn his trust as coach
“You have to be confident and patient,” acknowledged coach Chelangat, “And of course you have to know what you are doing. Without these you might fail to handle an athlete of his name.
Kiplimo is a two-time World Cross Country champion.
“Of course I’m not alone. I coordinate with my colleagues from Rosa Associati in Italy. Together we develop a good, quality training programme and we execute it here on the ground.
“It’s collective responsibility. I can’t claim that I’m fully responsible for Jacob’s success. My fellow local coaches, and even his fellow athletes play a part.
“The nutritionists, physios, the community that cheers him on, the media, Uganda Athletics Federation (UAF) as a family are monitoring us. We all share in Jabob’s success.”
And now that success takes a completely new, unchartered territory. And that is doing what he did in Barcelona twice, this time in London as Kiplimo debuts a full marathon at the grandest of stages.
London memories replay
Beautiful memories will welcome Kiplimo to London,13 years after Stephen Kiprotich ended Uganda’s four-decade wait for only the country’s second Olympic gold medal – at the time – since the late John Akii-Bua at the 1978 Munich Games.
This, of course, comes with its own pressure, but Kiplimo has, over the years, learnt how to handle that.
“This will be my first marathon,” he said, “but I am preparing very well for it and I can’t wait to perform well and record another success. I know competing in a new race for the first time is not always easy, but my body feels really good.”
Earlier in February in Kapchorwa, his Ugandan coach, Chelangat, did not want to draw himself into asserting whether this is the right time for Kiplimo to make the transition to a full marathon – and debuting in London at that.
“Is it the right move?,” Chelangat wondered, “That’s not the question. The real question is – how far can he push the limits of greatness?
“What is indisputable is that Jacob is a special talent. A natural talent. His late father – Stephen Chebet Arap Simba – was a great runner. Almost everyone at his home is a runner.
“His brothers Victor Kiplangat and Oscar Chelimo are all Ugandan athletics stars. He can only get better.”
And as Uganda’s smiling assassin takes on London, one thing is certain – the world is watching, and Kiplimo is ready.
KIPLIMO AT A GLANCE
Name: Jacob Kiplimo
Date of birth: November 14, 2000
Major events: 5000m, 10000m, Half-Marathon
Coach: Lacorpo Brasi (Italian)
Personal Bests: 12:40.96 (5000m), 26:33.93 (10000m), 56:42 (21km)
Manager: Federico Rosa
Management: Rosa Associati
KIPLIMO’S 21KM CAREER
Feb 15, 2025: Barcelona, Half-Marathon (1st, 56:42)
Sept 15, 2024: Copenhagen Half-Marathon (2nd, 57:31)
Mar 18, 2023: New York Half-Marathon (1st, 61:31)
Sept 11, 2022: Great North Run (1st, 59:33)
Feb 19, 2022: Ras Al Khaimah Half Marathon (1st, 57:56)
Nov 21, 2021: Lisbon Half-Marathon (1st, 57:31)
Dec 6, 2020: Valencia Half-Marathon (2nd, 57:37)
Oct 17, 2020: World Half-Marathon (1st, 58:49)
Nov 24, 2019: Kampala Half-Marathon (1st, 61:53)
Honours at Major Championships
Bronze medal at Tokyo 2020 Olympics (10000m)
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