Sabastian Sawe Scripts Marathon History, Becomes 1st Runner In The World To...

Last Updated:April 26, 2026, 17:12 IST

Sabastian Sawe runs first official sub two hour marathon in London.

London Marathon saw history made on Sunday as Kenyan long-distance runner Sabastian Sawe became the first man to run a sub-two-hour official marathon, while Tigst Assefa set a new women’s-only world record.

Sawe defended his title dominantly, clocking 1:59:30 to win the men’s race. He pulled away late from Yomif Kejelcha, who finished second in 1:59:41 on his marathon debut. Jacob Kiplimo placed third in 2:00:28. All three athletes bettered the previous world record of 2:00:35 set by Kelvin Kiptum in Chicago in 2023.

“We started the race well and at the end of the race, I was feeling strong," said Sawe. “Finally reaching the finishing line, I saw the time, and I was so excited to see I had run a world record today. I was very prepared because coming to London for the second time was so important to me, and that’s why I prepared well for it."

Sawe led a front group of six through halfway in 1:00:29 before breaking clear alongside Kejelcha. The pair remained together deep into the race until Sawe accelerated in the closing stretch. Ahead of the event, he had indicated that a record-breaking run was possible, competing in lightweight racing shoes designed for elite performance.

The previous sub-two-hour effort came from Eliud Kipchoge in 2019, but that run was not recognised as an official record due to controlled race conditions.

Top-10 Fastest men’s marathon times:

Assefa shines

In the women’s race, Assefa retained her title, finishing in 2:15:41 to improve her own women’s-only world record set on the same course last year. She broke away from a lead group that included Kenya’s Hellen Obiri and Joyciline Jepkosgei in the latter stages.

“I’m so happy to win again," said Assefa. “To repeat my victory from last year means even more. The happiness I feel is just swelling up inside me. It was one of my plans really coming into this competition to break my own world record from last year’s race. So to do that has brought me a lot of satisfaction."

Obiri finished second in a personal best of 2:15:53, narrowly ahead of Jepkosgei in third.

The current overall women’s marathon world record in a mixed race remains 2:09:56, set by Ruth Chepngetich in Chicago in 2024.

Organisers said more than 59,000 runners were expected to complete this year’s race. The event continues to grow, with discussions underway to expand participation and build on its record-breaking fundraising success.

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