Kenya's Sabastian Sawe sets new world marathon record, becomes first to run under 2 hours

ANI
26 Apr 2026, 21:06 GMT+10

London [UK], April 26 (ANI): Kenyan runner Sabastian Sawe broke a world record by becoming the first athlete to run a marathon in under two hours in a competitive race.

Sawe won the 2026 London Marathon clocking a time of 1:59:30 and conquering something that was considered almost impossible for decades.

The Kenyan finished the 42.2-kilometre course in 1:59:30, with Ethiopia's Yomif Kejelcha also dipping under two hours to take second place, reported Olympics.com. Kejelecha finished in 1:59:41 to take second place and join Sawe in the sub-two-hour club.

The two-hour men's marathon barrier had never been broken under legal conditions before the 2026 London Marathon, the site reported

The 31-year-old Sawe broke the previous world record, held by the late athlete Kelvin Kiptum, who finished the Chicago Marathon in the year 2023 with a time 2:00:35.

The third place was clinched by Uganda's Jacob Kiplimo claimed third in 2:00:28.

The path of the race started in Greenwich Park and heads through the streets of London before finishing on The Mall near Buckingham Palace.

Meanwhile, Tigst Assefa of Ethiopia broke her own women's-only world record at the London Marathon, winning in 2:15:41 to better her record of 2:15:50 from last year, Runner's World reported.

Hellen Obiri of Kenya was runner-up in 2:15:53, and her compatriot Joyciline Jepkosgei rounded out the podium in third, clocking 2:15:55, the (ANI)

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