Kadar Omar Abdullahi wins first-ever Big Half title as David Weir sets new course record in wheelchair race
Kadar Omar Abdullahi took a surprise win at the 2026 Big Half this morning (Sunday 6 September) beating three-time winner Jack Rowe, who finished in second place.
Abdullahi, who is from Ethiopia but came to the UK as a refugee aged 13, celebrated officially becoming a British citizen earlier this summer by claiming the UK Athletics Half Marathon Championships title at the Big Half, winning in a time of 61:51.
Abdullahi said: “This is my fastest time in four years. When I was on that Start Line, I just reminded myself of how grateful I am this year. I didn’t have any niggles.
“My own story is what has inspired me to be here. Running is what saved me and got me integrated into society. I am a British citizen now and that makes me very proud. I have lived in this country for ten years and without running I wouldn’t be who I am today.
“It is a great achievement; I always had the dream of getting myself in this type of field and testing myself.”
Rowe, who is preparing for the TCS New York City Marathon, in November, had hoped to surpass Sir Mo Farah’s record of three wins but had to settle for second place.
Rowe said: “It’s a shame to lose my streak – I was on three [wins] in a row but got done today by Kadar. But it was good.
“It’s a shame to lose, I never like losing. We [Rowe and Abdullahi] raced each other at the Battersea 5K a few weeks ago and I managed to pull him back in, whereas this time he pulled away.”
Another record-breaking race for Weir
David Weir, a veteran of the Big Half, smashed the course record for a second consecutive year to claim his place as the event's most decorated athlete.
Weir won the Big Half for a record fifth time in a time of 46:13, beating the previous men's wheelchair record, set by Weir last year, by 45 seconds.
Weir said: “Today I wanted to go out hard, it was good conditions, and I wanted that course record. You never know, I might not be racing next year – that's in my head, every race I treat as maybe could be my last one. I am not saying it is, but that is the way I train and race. I am just taking every opportunity I can now, doing all the races that I can.”
McColgan impresses on return from injury
In the elite women’s race, Eilish McColgan took the honours on her return from injury after a close battle with last year’s winner, Jess Warner-Judd, who was second this time out. McColgan, who finished the 2026 TCS London Marathon with a broken toe, pulled clear of both Warner-Judd and third-place Emma Pallant about three miles from the Finish Line to come home in 70:54. Warner-Judd finished in 72:13 and Pallant in 72:59.
McColgan said: “I came into this race in a different place from previous years [following a broken toe]. Coming back into training for the last four weeks so fitness was always going to be my biggest concern, but I had the fear over the broken toe as well.
"I haven't even run 13 miles in training! I have mentally ticked that box and can push on from here, which is great. I eased into it because of nerves and could really attack in the second half.”
Rainbow-Cooper chasing elusive women’s wheelchair course record
Eden Rainbow-Cooper won the elite women’s wheelchair race for the third time with her own course PB of 52:47, edging closer to the course record of 52:05, held by Sammie Kinghorn and set in 2023.
Rainbow-Cooper said: “I really want to get the [Big Half] course record at some point and today is the closest I’ve been. It is always fun to get a course PB – it gets closer and closer each year so I’ve just got to keep on going until I can hopefully get it"
View the full results from today's Big Half.