Uganda's Jacob Kiplimo smashes half marathon world record in 56:41

Uganda's Jacob Kiplimo broke the world half marathon record with a time of 56 minutes and 41 seconds in Barcelona on Sunday, 49 seconds faster than the previous mark set by Ethiopia's Yomif Kejelcha in October.

Twice world cross country champion Kiplimo's run was the greatest single improvement on the men's half marathon record, World Athletics said on its website.

"It has been the perfect race. Ideal temperature, no wind at all, fantastic circuit - everything went better than expected," Kiplimo said. "I found myself full of energy and decided to inject a brisker rhythm from the third kilometer, but I never imagined to perform under the 57-minute barrier, that's astonishing. I won't compete any more until my marathon debut in London on April 27."

Japan's Toshikazu Yamanishi broke the men's 20-kilometer race walk world record earlier on the day, clocking 1:16:10 in Kobe to beat the mark set by his compatriot Yusuke Suzuki in 2015 by 26 seconds.

"I'm glad 'time' came along with my efforts today," Yamanishi said. "The guys made a good rhythm in the first half of the race and I figured I'd make a move in the latter part of the race. My movement didn't really feel right in the beginning, it wasn't easy, but I was able to make the adjustments to find the right rhythm. When I was planning my race, whatever happened in the race I was aiming for the world record. With my performance today, I was able to express my appreciation towards my supporters who stuck along even during the last season when I was struggling."

(With inputs from Reuters)