Kenya's Sabastian Sawe made history on Sunday, April 26, 2026, by becoming the first man to run a marathon in under two hours. Sawe won the London Marathon with a time of 1 hour, 59 minutes, and 30 seconds, shattering the previous world record of 2:00:35 set by the late Kelvin Kiptum at the 2023 Chicago Marathon. Yomif Kejelcha of Ethiopia finished second in 1:59:41, also breaking the two-hour barrier in his marathon debut, while Jacob Kiplimo of Uganda took bronze in 2:02:28. Kiptum, who held the previous record, died in a car crash in Kenya in 2024 at the age of 24.
In the women's race, Ethiopia's Tigst Assefa defended her title and broke her own women's-only world record with a time of 2:15:41, surpassing her previous record of 2:15:50 set in London last year. Kenyans Hellen Obiri and Joyciline Jepkosgei finished second and third, respectively, with times of 2:15:53 and 2:15:55. Switzerland's Marcel Hug and Catherine Debrunner won the men's and women's wheelchair events, with Hug securing his sixth consecutive victory and Debrunner defending her title.
Sawe, who has never lost a marathon, credited the crowd for his historic achievement. 'I saw the time and I was so excited,' he told the BBC post-race. 'First of all, I want to thank the crowds. They helped a lot. You feel so happy and strong and pushing. What comes for me today is not for me alone but all of us in London.' Former British middle-distance world champion Steve Cram praised Sawe's performance, comparing it to Roger Bannister's historic four-minute mile.
Sawe's victory marks a significant milestone in marathon history, as the two-hour barrier had long been considered an elusive goal for elite runners. His achievement is expected to inspire future generations of athletes and redefine the limits of human endurance in the sport.