Ethiopia’s Yalemzerf Yehualaw betters half-marathon world record, becomes first woman to break 64-min barrier 

Ethiopia’s Yalemzerf Yehualaw on Sunday became the first woman to break the 64-minute barrier for a half marathon (21km) at the Antrim Coast half marathon event in Larne, Northern Ireland.

Yalemzerf clocked 1:03:43, to improve on the previous world record of 1:04:02 by 19 seconds.

Speaking during a post-race interaction with World Athletics, Yalemzerf said:

“This was a dream come true for me. I have tried twice before to break the world record but it didn’t happen, but I’m so happy it happened on Sunday in Larne."

The Ethiopian won the race by a big margin of six minutes.

Kenya’s Vane Nyaboke was second in a time of 1:09:44 while Britain’s Rose Harvey clocked 1:10:28 to finish third.

In April this year, Kenya’s Ruth Chepng'etich set the previous record of 1:04:02 in Istanbul. Yalemzerf finished second in Istanbul. She had clocked 1:04:40.

Yalemzerf Yehualaw wins the 2021 Antrim Coast Half Marathon and sets a World Athletics world record for the women's Half Marathon in 1:03:43!Yalemzerf is the first woman to ever go sub-1:04 👏 👏 👏 pic.twitter.com/8Eyi78GSqJ

— Antrim Coast Half Marathon (@CoastHalf) August 29, 2021

How Yalemzerf won the race

In Sunday’s race, Yalemzerf was supported by two pace makers – Roy Hoornweg and Mohamed Ali. Yalemzerf went through the first 5km mark in 15:05.6 minutes and reached the 10km mark in 30:22.0 min.

Yalemzerf passed the 15km mark in 45:24.2 min and looked on course for a new record. She continued to push hard in the closing stages of the race to break the 64-minute barrier and obliterate the rest of the field.

Yalemzerf missed the Tokyo Olympics after she finished fourth in the 10,000m at the Ethiopian trials.

She finished third at the World Athletics Half Marathon Championships in Gdynia, Poland last October.

It was an Ethiopian double in Larne on Sunday, as Jemal Yimer won a close men’s race in 1:00:29, ahead of compatriot Tesfahun Akalnew, who clocked 1:00:30. Kenya's Shadrack Kimining finished third in 1:00:31.