Kenya's Sawe breaks two-hour barrier with London marathon victory

Kenya's Sabastian Sawe became the first man to clock a sub-two-hour time in an official marathon race on Sunday, as he crossed the finish line at 1:59:30 to win the 2026 London Marathon.

The time meant the 31-year-old now holds the record for the fastest marathon in history, having edged the previous world record set by the late Kelvin Kiptum, who ran 2:00:35 at the 2023 Chicago Marathon.

All podium finishers in the race broke Kiptum's record, with second-placed Yomif Kejelcha of Ethiopia finishing in 1:59:41, while Uganda's Jacob Kiplimo took third in 2:00:28.

In the women's race, Ethiopia's Tigst Assefa set a new women-only world record of 2:15:41 to win, improving on the 2:15:50 she set in London last year.

Kenya's Hellen Obiri finished second in 2:15:53, with Joyciline Jepkosgei third in 2:15:55.

The performances by Kenyan athletes has received a flurry of praise, led by Kenyan President William Ruto, who pointed out that Sawe's record had "redrawn the limits of human endurance."

"This is more than a win; it is a defining moment," Ruto wrote on his official X handle. "Your triumph places you firmly among the greats of global athletics and reaffirms Kenya as an enduring force at the pinnacle of distance running."

On his part, Kenyan Cabinet Secretary for Youth Affairs, Creative Economy and Sports, Salim Mvurya, said Sawe's record at the London Marathon "not only redefined the limits of human performance but also cements his place among the greats in marathon history."

Athletics Kenya President Jackson Tuwei labelled Sawe's achievement "one of the greatest performances in the history of long-distance running."

The federation also praised Hellen Obiri and Joyciline Jepkosgei for podium finishes, highlighting Kenya's continued dominance in distance running.