Two-time Olympic marathon medallist Bashir Abdi smashed his Belgian half marathon record in his hometown of Gent on Sunday (8).
On the comeback from an injury-ravaged 2025 season, Abdi was back to his very best form as he won a race which has been renamed after him - the Runner’s Lab Bashir’s Run - in a solo 59:28.
Abdi broke clear in the sixth kilometre and never looked back, winning by a comfortable margin over Kenya’s Brian Kipchumba (60:00) with fellow Belgian Robin Hendrix third (60:23). He slices 23 seconds from his national record and moves to fifth on the European all-time half marathon list.
"I knew I'd trained well, but I was cold and couldn't get warm. It was a shock to my body, because I'd come from a training camp [in Ethiopia] where it was 30C. The pacemakers also quickly dropped out of the race but luckily I had mentally prepared myself for a scenario where I would have to do a lot of headwork,” said Abdi as quoted by Sporza.be.
Abdi was limited to just two races throughout 2025 due to a foot injury but the 37-year-old is returning to the level which saw him make the podium in the marathon at both the 2020 and 2024 Olympic Games.
"I'm incredibly happy. This performance proves I'm back. Bashir is back. After an incredibly difficult 2025, I've shown that I want and can continue at this level for a few more years," said Abdi.
Abdi’s primary goal for the spring road racing season is the Rotterdam Marathon on 12 April, the race in which he set the still-standing European marathon record of 2:03:36 in 2021. He has made no secret that one of the main goals of the latter years of his career is to revise his European record.
"I feel many athletes are getting close to that record. If I want to hold on to it for a few more years, I have to go faster. Whether it's for this edition or another time, I don't know. But my ambition is to break that European record," he said.
Bahrain’s Mimi Belete won the women’s race in 70:08.
European all-time half marathon list
58:41 Andreas Almgren (SWE) - Valencia 2025
59:01 Yemaneberhan Crippa (ITA) - Naples 2026
59:13 Julien Wanders (SUI) - Ras Al Khaimah 2019
59:26 Dominic Lobalu (SUI) - Barcelona 2026
59:28 Bashir Abdi (BEL) - Gent 2026
59:31 Amanal Petros (GER) - Berlin 2025
59:32 Mo Farah (GBR) - Lisbon 2015
59:37 Emmanuel Roudolff (FRA) - Barcelona 2026
59:39 Carlos Mayo (ESP) - Valencia 2023
59:40 Morhad Amdouni (FRA) - Gdynia 2020
59:40 Samuel Barata (POR) - Valencia 2023