On Sunday, April 26, 2026, Sabastian Sawe of Kenya became the first person to run a marathon in under two hours in an official race, winning the London Marathon in a time of 1 hour, 59 minutes, and 30 seconds.
His performance shattered the previous men’s world record of 2:00:35 set by the late Kelvin Kiptum at the 2023 Chicago Marathon by 65 seconds.
The achievement came in dramatic fashion, with Sawe and Ethiopian Yomif Kejelcha both breaking the two-hour barrier — Kejelcha finishing second in 1:59:41 on his marathon debut.
Uganda’s Jacob Kiplimo took third place in 2:00:28, likewise dipping under the former world record.
Sawe, born on March 16, 1995, is now 31 years old and has established himself as the world’s fastest marathoner in both 2024 and 2025 prior to this historic run.
His victory in London marked his fourth marathon win in as many attempts, having previously won the 2025 London Marathon in 2:02:27, the 2025 Berlin Marathon in 2:02:16, and the 2024 Valencia Marathon in 2:02:05.
In the 2026 London Marathon, Sawe and five others ran the first half (13.1 miles) in 1:00:29 before he accelerated in the final stages, covering the last split from 40km to 42.195km at an average pace of 4:17 per mile — equivalent to a 1:52 marathon pace.
This sub-two-hour performance differs from Eliud Kipchoge’s 1:59:40.2 run in 2019, which occurred under controlled conditions and was not recognized as a world record by World Athletics.
The progression toward the two-hour mark has been gradual in recent years: Kipchoge lowered the record from 2:02:57 to 2:01:39 at the 2018 Berlin Marathon, then to 2:01:09 in 2022, before Kiptum’s 2:00:35 in Chicago in 2023.
Between 2018 and 2023, seven marathons were run between 2:00:35 and 2:02:00, underscoring how close the barrier had become before Sawe’s breakthrough.
Sawe’s rise has been steady but notable: he set a Kenyan national record in the one-hour run at the Memorial Van Damme in September 2022 with 21,250 metres, won the Rome-Ostia Half Marathon in 2022 with a course record of 58:02, and claimed victory at the Montferland Run in December 2023 in 42:35.
He further improved his half-marathon form with a personal best of 58:05 at the Copenhagen Half Marathon in September 2024 before transitioning successfully to the full distance with his Valencia win.
Representing Kenya and sponsored by Adidas, Sawe has collected medals at the World Road Running Championships and World Cross Country Championships, finishing seventh in the senior men’s race at the 2023 World Cross Country Championships.
His 2026 London Marathon win adds him to the list of champions in the World Marathon Majors, having previously won the 2025 Berlin and London Marathons.
As the first athlete to break two hours in a sanctioned marathon event, Sawe’s achievement marks a defining moment in the sport’s history, one that will be studied for its implications on training, technology, and human performance limits.
The London Marathon, held annually on the streets of the United Kingdom’s capital, continues to serve as a stage for historic performances, and this year’s edition will be remembered for producing the first official sub-two-hour marathon.
Looking ahead, Sawe’s next steps remain unconfirmed, though his dominance over the past two years suggests he will be a leading contender in future World Marathon Majors events.
For now, his name is etched in the record books as the pioneer who turned what was once considered impossible into a ratified reality.
What does this mean for the future of marathon running? Only time will tell, but for now, Sabastian Sawe has redefined what humanity thought it could achieve on foot over 26.2 miles.
Stay tuned to Archysport for continued coverage of Sawe’s career and the evolving landscape of elite distance running.
