Sabastian Sawe made history on Sunday by becoming the first athlete to run a sub-two-hour marathon in an official race, crossing the line in 1 hour, 59 minutes, and 30 seconds at the London Marathon.
The 31-year-old Kenyan came into the race predicting fireworks and delivered in spectacular fashion, shattering the previous men’s world record of 2:00:35 set in Chicago in 2023 by the late Kelvin Kiptum.
Astonishingly, the top three men all finished inside the previous world record. Ethiopia’s Yomif Kejelcha, running his first-ever marathon, notched a time of 1:59:41 — the fastest debut ever — while Uganda’s Jacob Kiplimo finished third in 2:00:28.
Sawe was locked in a tight battle with Kejelcha in the closing stages but surged clear with one mile remaining. Speaking after the race, Sawe said, “I am feeling good. I am so happy. It is a day to remember for me. We started the race well. Approaching finishing the race, I was feeling strong.”
Kenya’s Eliud Kipchoge ran 1:59:40 in October 2019, becoming the first person to complete a sub-two-hour marathon, but the time was not ratified as a world record due to specialised shoes and modified rules. Sawe’s time, however, is eligible for ratification.
In the women’s race, Ethiopia’s Tigst Assefa smashed her own women-only world record, finishing in 2:15:41 — nine seconds better than her previous best set on the same course last year. Kenya’s Hellen Obiri came second in a personal best of 2:15:53, just two-hundredths of a second ahead of compatriot Joyciline Jepkosgei.
Kenya’s President William Ruto said Sawe had “redrawn the limits of human endurance,” adding, “This is more than a win. It is a defining moment.”
