Kenyan runner Sabastian Sawe has become the first person to officially run a sub-two-hour marathon, winning the London Marathon in a world-record time of 1:59:30.
Kenya’s Sabastian Sawe made sports history on Sunday, April 26, 2026, by becoming the first person to break the sub-two-hour barrier in a competitive marathon. Sawe won the London Marathon with a staggering time of 1:59:30, obliterating the previous world record by 65 seconds. The 29-year-old sprinted down The Mall to retain his London title, crediting the massive crowds for pushing him through an incredible second-half split of 59 minutes and 1 second.
The race proved to be a generational outlier, as runner-up Yomif Kejelcha of Ethiopia also dipped under the fabled mark, finishing his debut marathon in 1:59:41. Additionally, third-place finisher Jacob Kiplimo of Uganda crossed the line in 2:00:28, a time that also beat the previous world record set by the late Kelvin Kiptum in 2023. The performance solidified London 2026 as the fastest marathon ever run, with three men outpacing the best mark in history.
In the women’s category, Ethiopia’s Tigst Assefa successfully defended her title, seting a women’s-only marathon world record with a time of 2:15:41. Meanwhile, the wheelchair division saw a “Swiss double” victory, as Marcel Hug claimed his eighth total London title and Catherine Debrunner narrowly defeated Tatyana McFadden to retain her crown. The event coincided with high-stakes news elsewhere, including an evacuation of President Trump from a D.C. gala and coordinated attacks in Mali.