LONDON, United Kingdom — Kenyan Sabastian Sawe became the first athlete to complete a marathon in under two hours in an official race, winning the London Marathon on Sunday, April 19, 2026.
Sawe finished in 1:59:30, setting a new world record and surpassing the previous mark of 2:00:35 set by the late Kelvin Kiptum at the Chicago Marathon.
The two-hour threshold has long been regarded as a significant milestone in distance running, comparable to the four-minute mile.
Record Performance in Competitive Race
While Eliud Kipchoge ran a marathon in under two hours in 2019, that effort was achieved under controlled conditions and was not recognised as an official record.
Sawe’s performance marks the first time the barrier has been broken in a competitive race setting.
Speaking after the race, Sawe told the BBC, “We start the race well and approaching the end of finishing the race I was feeling strong.”
“I am so happy,” he added.
Strong Finish by Kejelcha
Yomif Kejelcha of Ethiopia finished second after remaining close to Sawe for much of the race before fading in the closing stages. Kejelcha also ran under two hours, recording a time of 1:59:41.
Women’s Record Also Falls
In the women’s race, Tigst Assefa set a new world record, finishing in 2:15:41. The time surpassed her previous record, which she had set at the same event a year earlier.
The results marked a significant day in marathon history, with both men’s and women’s records broken at the London event.
