Ng'etich not relenting in her pursuit of the Half Marathon world mark

‎After flirting with history twice, World Cross Country champion Agnes Ng'etich insists the chase for the Half Marathon world mark is far from over, vowing to take yet another swing this year.

‎The global standard for the 21km distance record stands at 1:02:52, a mark set by Letesenbet Gidey in 2021, and it remains the glittering target in Ng'etich’s sights. ‎Ng'etich’s first raid on the record came during her eye-catching debut over the distance in the Valencia Half Marathon in 2024.

She powered to victory in 1:03:04, smashing the Kenyan national record and announcing her arrival among the road running elite.

‎That commanding run saw her streak clear of Fotyen Tesfay (1:03:21) and compatriot Lilian Kasait (1:03:32). ‎Twelve months later, she returned to the same streets, the same ambition burning in her veins.

Again, the clock refused to yield, but victory was emphatic. She crossed in 1:03:08, once more asserting control ahead of Tesfay (1:05:10) and fellow Kenyan Veronica Loleo (1:05:46).

‎While the world record survived, Ng'etich’s 2024 performance still places her second on the all-time list, a reminder of just how close she is to the summit. ‎“I have tried to break the half-marathon record twice,” Ng'etich reflected. ‎“The first time was when I was making my half-marathon debut, and then the second was last year.”

‎For the soft-spoken but fiercely competitive runner, the lesson is simple: greatness yields to persistence. ‎“Records don't just come; you have to keep on trying until you get them,” she said. ‎“Like the 10K record, I had to try a lot of times before I eventually broke it.”

In 2024, again in Valencia, Ng'etich delivered a thunderous 28:46 to seize the world 10km record in breathtaking fashion.

‎Earlier that season, ‎she had briefly owned the world 5km mark after clocking 14:13 in Valencia, before Beatrice Chebet lowered it to 13:54 in Barcelona later that year.

Last year, she had underlined her authority at the Adizero Road to Records, blasting to a women-only world best of 29:27.  Ng'etich remains convinced the half-marathon crown is well within striking distance. ‎“I hope to try the half-marathon world record until it comes.”

‎The distance ace has already hinted at a commanding 2026 campaign. On January 10 in Tallahassee, at the World Athletics Cross Country Championships, she uncorked a savage finishing kick to dismiss Uganda’s Joy Cheptoyek (32:10) and Ethiopia’s Senayet Getachew (32:13).