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Sabastian Sawe led the way to history in less than 2 hours on Sunday at the London Marathon.
The Kenyan runner won the London Marathon in 1 hour, 59 minutes and 30 seconds, beating the previous men’s world record by 65 seconds.
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Sebastian Sawe of Kenya crosses the finish line to win the men’s race at the London Marathon on April 26, 2026. (Ian Walton/AP)
“What is happening today is not for me alone, but for all of us today in London,” Sawe said.
The long-distance runner is a decorated athlete who has won the 2025 London Marathon and the 2025 Berlin Marathon. He won the 2023 Riga Half Marathon and the 2023 World Cross Country Championships in Bathurst.
He added that Sunday was an “unforgettable day”, and thanked the big crowds in London for helping give him the extra oomph he needed to maintain the world record pace.
“I think they help a lot,” he said, “because without them you don’t feel so loved…with their calling you feel so happy and strong.”
Sabastian Sawe of Team Kenya poses with Yomif Kejelcha of Team Ethiopia and Jacob Kiplimo of Team Uganda during the presentation ceremony after the 2026 TCS London Men’s Marathon in London, England, April 26, 2026. (Alex Davidson/Getty Images)
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Ethiopian Yomif Kejelcha also finished the course in less than 2 hours but only 11 seconds behind Sawe. Ugandan Jacob Kiplimo finished behind them in 2 hours and 28 seconds.
The two-hour barrier had already been crossed, but unofficially.
Kenyan Eliud Kipchoge achieved the feat in Vienna in 2019 in a race called the “1.59 Challenge”. The event was organized by British billionaire Jim Ratcliffe in privileged conditions on a 6-mile circuit and used rotating pacemakers.
Kipchoge’s time was 1 hour, 59 minutes and 40 seconds.
Sebastian Sawe of Kenya celebrates his victory in the men’s race at the London Marathon, in London, April 26, 2026. (Ian Walton/AP)
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“The goalposts have literally moved for the marathon race,” former London Marathon winner Paula Radcliffe said on the BBC show.
