Kenyan runner Sabastian Sawe has shattered the marathon world record, becoming the first man in history to complete the 26.2-mile distance in under two hours. Sawe crossed the finish line at the London Marathon on Sunday, April 26, 2026, with a time of 1 hour, 59 minutes, and 30 seconds.
The performance not only secured Sawe’s title defense but also demolished the previous world record set by fellow Kenyan Kelvin Kiptum in Chicago in October 2023, which stood at 2 hours, 0 minutes, and 35 seconds. Sawe’s run represents a improvement of over a minute on the former benchmark.
Sawe surged ahead of the lead pack before the 30-kilometer mark, pulling away from all but Ethiopian rival Yomif Kejelcha, who also broke the two-hour barrier in second place with a time of 1 hour, 59 minutes, and 41 seconds. Ugandan Jacob Kiplimo followed in third at 2 hours, 0 minutes, and 28 seconds.
In the women’s race, Ethiopian Tigst Assefa successfully defended her London Marathon title, winning in 2 hours, 15 minutes, and 41 seconds. Her victory also established a novel world record for a women-only marathon, improving her own previous mark by nine seconds.
The historic sub-two-hour achievement marks a defining moment in distance running, coming less than three years after Kiptum’s record-setting run and tragic passing in a car accident early in 2024. Sawe’s performance cements his status as one of the sport’s elite athletes and renews global interest in the limits of human endurance.
