from Wikipedia:Half Marathon World Record Progression
61:21 Alex Hagelsteens Belgium 23.09.1984 Remich-Grevenmacher
61:14 Steve Jones United Kingdom 11.08.1985 Birmingham
60:57 Michael Musyoki Kenya 15.09.1985 Philadelphia
60:56 Xolile Yawa South Africa 25.07.1987 East London
60:46 Dionicio Cerón Mexico 16.09.1990 Philadelphia
59:47 Moses Tanui Kenya 03.04.1993 Milan
59:17 Paul Tergat Kenya 04.04.1998 Milan
59:16 Samuel Wanjiru Kenya 11.09.2005 Rotterdam
58:55 Haile Gebrselassie Ethiopia 15.01.2006 Phoenix
58:53 Samuel Wanjiru Kenya 09.02.2007 Ras al Khaimah
from http://www.iaaf.org:
58:53 Half Marathon World Record by Wanjiru in Ras al Khaimah
Ras al Khaimah, United Arab Emirates - Sammy Wanjiru of Kenya broke the World Half Marathon record with a scintillating display of front-running in the Ras Al Khaimah International Half Marathon in the United Arab Emirates early this morning (9 February).
Wanjiru, just 20 years old, clocked 58:53, and in fact retrieved the World Record, taken from him by Ethiopian ‘great’ Haile Gebrselassie, who ran 58:55 in Phoenix, Arizona on 15 January 2006. Then officially a junior, Wanjiru had set the previous record one year earlier, with 59:16 in Rotterdam.
When ‘Geb’ set his World Record, he was paced in what became a solo run, whereas Wanjiru today dismantled one of the best fields ever assembled, thanks to the record overall prize money of $155,000 on offer in Ras Al Khaimah.
The youngest man in the field, Wanjiru was up against the former World champion at the distance, Fabiano Joseph of Tanzania, who eventually finished seventh; winner of the Boston and Chicago Marathons, Robert Cheruyiot, who finished fifth; and a host of other top east and north Africans, the acknowledged masters of modern distance running.
More at http://www.iaaf.org/news/Kind=2/newsId=37521.html
