History Made: Sabastian Sawe Runs Sub-2-Hour Marathon at London 2026

April 26, 2026 will be remembered as the day the impossible became real. Sabastian Sawe crossed the finish line of the TCS London Marathon in 1:59:30 — becoming the first human being to run a sub-2-hour marathon under official race conditions.

The Men's Race: Two Under Two Hours

Sawe didn't just break the world record — he obliterated it. The previous record of 2:00:35, set by the late Kelvin Kiptum in Chicago 2023, was improved by a staggering 65 seconds. But Sawe wasn't alone in making history: Yomif Kejelcha finished just 11 seconds behind in 1:59:41, making it the first time two runners went under 2 hours in the same race. Uganda's Jacob Kiplimo also ducked under Kiptum's old record with 2:00:28.

The Women's Race: Assefa Rewrites History Again

Tigst Assefa took the women's-only world record to 2:15:41, improving her own mark. For the first time ever, three women ran under 2:16 in the same race — a depth of performance that would have been unimaginable just five years ago.

A Record-Breaking Day in Every Way

Beyond the elite performances, the 2026 London Marathon set a Guinness World Record for the largest marathon ever — 59,830 finishers, beating the 2025 NYC Marathon's 59,226. National records fell across the board: Ireland's Peter Lynch ran 2:06:08 and Uruguay's Julia Paternain clocked 2:25:47.

What This Means for Running

The sub-2-hour marathon in official race conditions changes everything. When Eliud Kipchoge ran 1:59:40 in the INEOS Challenge in 2019, it was under controlled, non-race conditions with pacemakers and no competition. Sawe did it in a real race, on open roads, against other athletes. The barrier is not just broken — it's been demolished.

The 2027 London Marathon ballot will likely see record applications. Check the London Marathon page on MyRaceRadar to set up a Race Alert for when registration opens.