Sawe Smashes 2-Hour Barrier: First Man to Run Sub-Two-Hour Marathon at London 2026

London: Kenya’s Sabastian Sawe made sporting history on Sunday by becoming the first man ever to run an official marathon in under two hours, winning the 2026 TCS London Marathon in a stunning world record time of 1:59:30.
The 29-year-old Kenyan obliterated the previous men’s world record by 65 seconds, crossing the finish line on The Mall in one of the most remarkable performances in distance running history. Ethiopia’s Yomif Kejelcha finished second in 1:59:41, also dipping under the two-hour mark.
In the women’s race, Ethiopia’s Tigst Assefa successfully defended her title and set a new women-only world record with a time of 2:15:41, improving on her own previous mark.
Sawe’s achievement marks a seismic moment in marathon running. While Eliud Kipchoge famously broke the two-hour barrier in the 2019 INEOS 1:59 Challenge (a non-record-eligible event with pacers and closed roads), Sawe’s performance came in a competitive elite race under World Athletics rules.
The Kenyan, who also won last year’s London Marathon, produced a dominant display, running at an average pace of approximately 2:50 per kilometre. His victory further cements East Africa’s dominance in the sport.
Organisers and athletics officials hailed the day as one of the greatest in marathon history, with two athletes breaking the two-hour barrier in the men’s race and a new women’s record in the same event.
This breakthrough is expected to inspire a new generation of distance runners and spark fresh debates about the limits of human performance in the marathon.