Sabastian Sawe made history at the London Marathon, completing the race in an astonishing 1 hour, 59 minutes, and 30 seconds. This marked the first time anyone has officially finished a marathon in under two hours during a legal race.
Sawe’s achievement comes nearly seven years after Eliud Kipchoge famously ran a sub-two-hour marathon in a controlled environment in Vienna. On April 26, 2026, Sawe not only broke the previous world record of 2:00:35 held by Kelvin Kiptum but also became the first man to defend his title in London since Kipchoge in 2018 and 2019.
As he crossed the finish line, Sawe reflected on his mental strength. “Of course, approaching the finishing line, always there is a lot — it’s a matter of being strong and my mind was ready. Finally, what comes today was good,” he said. His average pace was an impressive 4:33 per mile, with an average speed of 13.16 mph.
In a thrilling race, Yomif Kejelcha finished second with a time of 1:59:41, also breaking the two-hour mark. Jacob Kiplimo followed closely behind in third place at 2:00:28. All three runners pushed each other to achieve remarkable times that day.
Sawe’s second half marathon split was an incredible 59 minutes and 1 second—faster than the American record of 59:17. This performance solidified his status as one of the top Kenyan athletes in marathon history.
Tigst Assefa also shone brightly on that day, winning the women’s elite race with a time of 2:15:41 and breaking her own women’s-only marathon world record. “I came into the race wanting to beat my record — I knew I was in good shape,” she shared.
Observers are excited about what this means for future marathons and for Kenyan athletes who continue to dominate this sport. Sawe has now won all four major marathons he has raced—a feat that speaks volumes about his talent and determination.
This historic run not only celebrates individual achievement but also unites runners around the world. As Sawe expressed, “What comes today is not for me alone, but for all of us today in London.” With such groundbreaking performances, the landscape of marathon running is changing rapidly.
