Sweden's Andreas Almgren, who had already won the European championship in the 10,000 meters this year, also won the world championship in the half marathon. His time of 58.06 broke his own European record by 35 seconds.
Andreas Almgren is the world champion in the half marathon. In Copenhagen, he crossed the finish line in 58:06, setting a new European record and the ninth-fastest time ever.
He also became the first non-African world champion in that distance in 30 years. The last time that happened was when the Italian Stefano Baldini 1996.
Almgren, 31, from Turebergs FK and Sollentuna, stayed near the front of the pack. After 17 kilometers, it came down to a duel with the Kenyan Nicholas Kipkorir. The Ugandan Joshua Cheptegei pulled away. In the final stretch, Almgren moved to the outside and sprinted to the finish to claim the gold. Kipkorir took silver in 58.11, and Cheptegei took bronze in 58.26.
– It’s great to run when you don’t have to do anything yourself, but just be that annoying jerk who’s hanging back and then sprints at the end, ", Almgren told DR.
The time shattered his own European record from Valencia last year—58.41—by 35 seconds. This year, he has already won gold at the European Championships in the 10,000 meters. Now he has also won gold at the World Championships on the road.
SVT's expert Jonas Hedman called the race a tactical masterpiece and one of the greatest Swedish running performances in the history of track and field.
The next goal is the New York Marathon on November 1. First, a gold medal that puts Sweden at the top of the podium when the world runs the half marathon.
