Kenyan distance-running veteran Mark Kosgey Kiptoo has added another remarkable chapter to his career after setting a world record in the men’s 50-and-over category at the 2026 San Sebastián Rural Kutxa Half Marathon in Spain.
Kiptoo, 50, won the race outright in 1:03:57, producing a performance that put him more than two minutes inside the previous M50 world record.
The previous mark stood at 1:06:23. Kiptoo lowered it by 2 minutes and 26 seconds while also beating the younger athletes in the open race.
Spain’s Iraitz Arrospide finished second in 1:04:48, while Youness Assehli was third in 1:07:16.
Kiptoo’s performance was built on a remarkably consistent pace.
He passed 5km in 15:22 and reached 10km in 30:21, covering the second five-kilometre section in 14:59. He was through 20km in 1:00:40 before completing the final 1.097km to stop the clock at 1:03:57.
That works out at roughly 3:02 per kilometre for the full 21.097km.
The record was confirmed in reports from the San Sebastián event, which described Kiptoo’s 1:03:57 as the best-ever performance in the over-50 category.
The performance is particularly striking given Kiptoo’s age and his longevity at elite level.
A career built on longevity
Kiptoo has been competing internationally for more than two decades, establishing himself first on the track before successfully moving into road racing and, later, masters competition.
His track credentials include personal bests of 12:53.46 for 5,000 metres and 26:54.64 for 10,000 metres, performances that underline the speed that has remained a foundation of his career.
He also produced one of the defining performances of his masters career at the 2018 Frankfurt Marathon, where he ran 2:07:50.
His transition into the masters category has not meant a reduction in ambition. Instead, Kiptoo has continued to challenge age-group records while remaining competitive in open races.
Earlier in his masters career, he also showed that he could still produce elite-level half-marathon times. At the Azkoitia-Azpeitia Half Marathon in March, he ran 1:03:17 at the age of 49.
His latest performance went a step further.
Rather than simply winning the M50 category, Kiptoo won the entire San Sebastián race, finishing ahead of younger runners and setting a world record in the process.
Experience still delivering speed
What makes the San Sebastián performance stand out is not simply the final time but the manner in which it was produced.
Kiptoo maintained a demanding pace from the opening kilometres without relying on a dramatic late acceleration. His 30:21 passage at 10km put him on course for a time well below the previous age-group record, and he maintained that rhythm deep into the race.
By the finish, the Kenyan had transformed a competitive half marathon into a record-breaking performance.
At 50, Kiptoo is now competing in a different age category from the one in which he built his international reputation. Yet the San Sebastián result showed that the competitive instincts and endurance that defined his elite career remain firmly intact.
The 1:03:57 is therefore more than another masters record. It is the latest evidence of an extraordinary running career that has successfully crossed generations, events and age categories.
For Kenyan distance running, Kiptoo’s achievement also offers another reminder that elite performance does not necessarily end when an athlete leaves the traditional senior ranks.
At 50, he is still winning races — and now doing so at world-record level.
