Swede Andreas Almgren stuns East African giants to claim Half Marathon crown in record time
By Luke Oluoch, September 20, 2026While Agnes Ngetich sealed an emphatic finish of a women-only world record in the 2026 World Half Marathon Championships in Denmark on Sunday, September 20, 2026, the men’s race saw Swedish athlete Andreas Almgren make history by securing gold after stunning his East African competitors in a record-breaking feat.
The European record holder became the first non-African champion in 30 years as he prepares to make his marathon debut at the New York City Marathon in just over a month’s time.
Timed to perfection
With pre-race focus and attention squarely on the traditional East African rivalry between Kenya, Ethiopia, and Uganda, the Swede—who already held the European record for the half marathon—timed his race to perfection to prove his mettle on the global stage.
The dark horse pulled away over the closing stages to stun the leading pack, with Almgren working to wear down the final chasing group featuring Kipkorir and former 1,500 m champion Cheptegei.
He made his decisive move in the final 100 metres after noticing Cheptegei fading, unleashing a devastating kick to overtake Kipkorir and win the World Road Running Championships half marathon in 58:06.
The extraordinary performance marked a new personal best in Copenhagen as he smashed his own European record, taking an impressive 35 seconds off his previous benchmark.
Europeans vs Africans
Kipkorir settled for silver for his troubles with a time of 58:11.
Meanwhile, Cheptegei celebrated his return to a global podium for the first time since Paris 2024, taking bronze with a personal best of 58:26. Further down the field, Gideon Kipkertich Rono finished 5th in 58:57, Alex Nzioka Matata placed 8th in 59:22, and Daniel Simiu Ebenyo came home 9th in 59:42.
The win saw Almgren cement his name in athletics history, as he joined the list of European athletes proving their mettle in distance running. Jakob Ingebrigtsen (Norway) and the 10,000 m European title holder Jimmy Greisser of France are among the athletes who have in recent past successfully wrestled the crown off the Africans.