Historic Double at London Marathon as Sawe Breaks Two-Hour Barrier, Assefa Sets Women’s Record

Kenyan runner Sabastian Sawe etched his name into athletics history by becoming the first athlete to complete a competitive marathon in under two hours, securing victory at the London Marathon.

Sawe shattered the world record with a remarkable finishing time of 1:59:30, surpassing the previous benchmark set by the late Kelvin Kiptum, who clocked 2:00:35 at the Chicago Marathon. The sub-two-hour marathon has long been regarded as one of the sport’s greatest milestones, often compared to the historic breaking of the four-minute mile.

Although fellow Kenyan Eliud Kipchoge famously ran a marathon in under two hours in 2019, that performance was not officially recognised as a world record due to controlled race conditions.

Sawe faced strong competition from Ethiopia’s Yomif Kejelcha, who remained close throughout much of the race but fell behind in the final stages. Kejelcha still delivered an extraordinary performance, finishing second in 1:59:41 — also under the two-hour mark.

Reflecting on his achievement, Sawe told the BBC that he felt strong towards the end of the race and was thrilled with the outcome. “I am so happy,” he said.

The event also witnessed a standout performance in the women’s race, where Ethiopia’s Tigst Assefa set a new world record with a time of 2:15:41, surpassing her own previous record set at the same event last year.

The 2026 London Marathon will be remembered as a landmark moment in long-distance running, with historic records falling in both the men’s and women’s categories.