News Date: September 20, 2026
Andreas Almgren Wins World Road Championship Gold With European Record
Sweden’s Andreas Almgren produced a remarkable performance in Copenhagen on Sunday, winning the men’s half marathon at the World Athletics Road Running Championships and setting a new European record of 58:06.
The 31-year-old Swedish runner improved his own previous European record by an impressive 35 seconds. His victory also gave him his first senior global championship title.
Almgren Makes Decisive Move Late in the Race
Almgren remained among the leading runners throughout the race as Kenya’s Nicholas Kipkorir pushed him strongly.
The contest stayed close until the closing stages. Almgren then produced a decisive surge near the finish to move clear of Kipkorir and cross the line in 58:06, five seconds ahead of the Kenyan runner, who finished in 58:11.
Uganda’s Olympic and world champion Joshua Cheptegei claimed the bronze medal after recording a personal best of 58:26. Ethiopia’s Tadese Worku finished fourth in 58:35.
35 Seconds Faster Than His Previous Record
The biggest headline from Almgren’s performance was the scale of his improvement.
His previous European half-marathon record stood at 58:41, set in Valencia in October 2025. His new time of 58:06 lowered that mark by 35 seconds. The performance also moved Almgren to ninth on the world all-time list for the distance, according to reports citing World Athletics.
First Senior World Championship Gold
The Copenhagen victory is an important milestone in Almgren’s career.
Before this race, he had won bronze in the 10,000 metres at the 2025 World Championships and captured the European 10,000m title in Birmingham in August 2026. His latest victory adds a senior world championship gold medal to those achievements.
Historic Result for Sweden
Almgren’s victory also stands out because of Sweden’s history in the event. Swedish broadcaster SVT reported that he became the first Swedish athlete to win a medal in the men's world half-marathon championship and the first non-African runner to win the championship in 30 years.
His performance in Copenhagen now gives him significant momentum ahead of his planned marathon debut in New York later this year.
Final Results
| Position | Athlete | Country | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Andreas Almgren | Sweden | 58:06 |
| 2 | Nicholas Kipkorir | Kenya | 58:11 |
| 3 | Joshua Cheptegei | Uganda | 58:26 |
| 4 | Tadese Worku | Ethiopia | 58:35 |
Conclusion
Andreas Almgren delivered one of the biggest performances of his career in Copenhagen, winning world championship gold while cutting 35 seconds from his own European half-marathon record.
His 58:06 finish secured Sweden’s place at the top of the men's race and marked Almgren's first senior world title.