LONDON – Kenyan runner Sebastian Sawe has become the first athlete in history to complete a marathon in under two hours in an officially recognized race, setting a new world record at the London Marathon on April 26, 2026.
The 30-year-old crossed the finish line in 1 hour 59 minutes and 30 seconds, winning the race and rewriting marathon history with a landmark performance.
Sawe’s achievement breaks the previous official world record of 2:00:35, set by fellow Kenyan runner Kelvin Kiptum in 2023.
While Eliud Kipchoge famously ran a marathon under two hours in 2019, that effort was not recognised as an official world record due to controlled pacing conditions and a non-competition setup.
Sawe’s performance is now regarded as the first sub-two-hour marathon completed under official race conditions, marking a new milestone in long-distance running.
