Kenya’s Sabastian Sawe achieved a groundbreaking feat by completing the 2026 London Marathon in one hour, 59 minutes, and 30 seconds, becoming the first man to run a marathon in under two hours. Sawe surpassed the previous world record of 2:00:35 set by Kelvin Kiptum in the 2023 Chicago Marathon. Runner-up Yomif Kejelcha of Ethiopia also broke the two-hour barrier, finishing in 1:59:41, while Uganda’s Jacob Kiplimo secured the bronze in 2:00:28.
The race witnessed an intense competition from the start, with a lead group including Sawe, Kejelcha, Jacob Kiplimo, Tamirat Tola, Amos Kipruto, and Deresa Geleta maintaining a controlled yet ambitious pace. They hit significant milestones such as 5km in 14:14, 10km in 28:34, and halfway in 1:00:29, before the lead group began to spread out between 30km and 35km.
During the crucial phase between 30km and 35km, Sawe and Kejelcha pulled ahead, with Sawe eventually breaking away in the final mile to secure victory in 1:59:30, setting a new world record. Kejelcha followed closely with an Ethiopian record of 1:59:41, while Kiplimo finished third in a Ugandan record time of 2:00:28. The women’s race also saw remarkable performances, with Tigst Assefa of Ethiopia breaking her own women’s-only world record by finishing in 2:15:41.
