Kenyan athlete Sebastian Sawe has made history in London. He became the first person to run a marathon in under two hours during an official competition. The 29-year-old crossed the finish line with a time of 1:59:30.

This performance shattered the previous world record. That record was held by his compatriot, the late Kelvin Kiptum. Kiptum set a time of 2:00:35 in Chicago in 2023. Sawe’s victory marks a new era for long-distance running.

A Tactical Masterclass

The race in London was fast from the start. Sawe and Ethiopia’s Yomif Kejelcha stayed at the front of the pack. They reached the halfway point in 60:29. This put them exactly on the target pace for a historic finish.

Around the 18-mile mark, Sawe and Kejelcha broke away from the other runners. Sawe then began to accelerate.

Between 30 and 35 kilometres, he ran a split of 13:54. He followed this with an even faster 13:42 split for the next five kilometres.

The Kenyan got consistently quicker as the race went deeper, this made sub-two possible.

Surpassing the Legends

This achievement comes nearly seven years after Eliud Kipchoge first broke the two-hour barrier. Kipchoge ran 1:59:35 in Vienna in 2019. However, that run took place in a staged event and was not eligible for an official world record.

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Sawe has now won all four major marathons he has entered. He is also the first man to retain the London title since Kipchoge did so in 2019. The depth of talent in this year's race was extraordinary. Five men finished in under 2:03, and the entire podium ran under 2:01.

Records Fall Across the Board

It was a day of multiple milestones in the British capital. In the women’s race, Tigst Assefa successfully defended her title. The Ethiopian athlete set a new world record for an all-women’s race with a time of 2:15:41.

She beat the previous record by nine seconds after a final sprint against Joyciline Jepkosgei and Hellen Obiri.

Switzerland also saw major success in the wheelchair events. Marcel Hug won the men’s race in 1:24:13, finishing more than four minutes ahead of his rivals.

Catherine Debrunner claimed the women’swheelchair title in 1:38:29 after a close battle with Tatyana McFadden.

The London Marathon continues to be a premier setting for world-class performance. With a $50,000 time bonus available and bespoke preparation for the athletes, the 2026 race has redefined what is possible in human endurance.