Sebastian Sawe (R) of Kenya competes during the men’s elite race at the London Marathon in London, Britain, April 26, 2026. (Photo by Stephen Chung/Xinhua)
LONDON, April 26 (Xinhua) — Kenya’s Sabastian Sawe became the first man in history to run a marathon in under two hours, doing so at the 2026 London Marathon in a winning time of one hour, 59 minutes and 30 seconds.
Second-placed Yomif Kejelcha of Ethiopia also run the race in under two hours, finishing in 1:59:41.
The original world record had been set by the late Kelvin Kiptum with 2:00:35 at the 2023 Chicago Marathon, while Sawe’s compatriot Eliud Kipchoge had run the 42km marathon distance in under two hours at an exhibition performance in Vienna in 2019, which was not recognized by World Athletics.
On Sunday, Sawe led the halfway in a six-man group with 1:00:29. The decisive phase came between 30km and 35km, as a 13:54 5km split saw Sawe and Kejelcha edge clear. The leading duo then accelerated again, covering the next 5km in 13:42 as the likelihood of a sub-two-hour finish increased with each step.
Defending champion Sawe made his move with one mile remaining, finally breaking clear of Kejelcha and pressing on alone. He crossed the line in a time 65 seconds faster than the previous world record.
“I feel good, I’m so happy. It is a day to remember for me,” said Sawe, who won last year’s London event in 2:02:27.
“We started the race well, and I felt strong we approached finishing the end. When I got to the finish line, I saw the time and I was so excited,” added Sawe, who covered the second half of the race in 59:01. “Coming to London for the second time was so important to me and that’s why I prepared well for it. What I had done for four months, it has come today to be a good result.”
Kejelcha followed with the second-fastest performance in history and the quickest ever marathon debut, while Jacob Kiplimo secured third place in 2:00:28, also inside the previous world record.
The women’s race also delivered a performance of historic significance, led by defending champion Tigst Assefa, as she lowered her own world record with a winning time of 2:15:41. Behind her, Hellen Obiri finished second in a personal best time of 2:15:53 on her London debut, with Joyciline Jepkosgei close behind in 2:15:55, marking the first time three women have finished inside 2:16 in the same race. ■
Sebastian Sawe (R) of Kenya competes during the men’s elite race at the London Marathon in London, Britain, April 26, 2026. (Photo by Stephen Chung/Xinhua)
Sebastian Sawe (R, front) of Kenya competes during the men’s elite race at the London Marathon in London, Britain, April 26, 2026. (Photo by Stephen Chung/Xinhua)
Sebastian Sawe (3rd L) of Kenya competes during the men’s elite race at the London Marathon in London, Britain, April 26, 2026. (Photo by Stephen Chung/Xinhua)
Sebastian Sawe (4th R) of Kenya competes during the men’s elite race at the London Marathon in London, Britain, April 26, 2026. (Photo by Stephen Chung/Xinhua)
