Kenyan athlete Sabastian Sawe has broken a record by becoming the first man to run a marathon under two hours at the London Marathon.
Sawe has recorded a historic performance, finishing in 1:59:30, the fastest marathon ever recorded in an official race surpassing the previous official world record of 2:00:35 set by Kelvin Kiptum in 2023.
Sawe controlled a fast-paced elite field from the start, covering the halfway mark in a 60:00–60:30 before accelerating in the final stages to seal victory.
On winning the marathon, Sawe expressed his achievement thanking the those who cheered him in London during the race.
“I am feeling good. I am happy. It’s a day to remember for me. We started the race well and approaching the end of the race, I was feeling strong and I remember fellow Ethiopian was so competitive. I think he helped me a lot. Finally, reaching the finish line, I saw the time, I was so excited. Today showed me there is time for everyone. I am so happy. I was well prepared. Coming to London for the second time was important to me. I want to thank the crowd for cheering for us. I think they had a lot for me because I feel so happy and strong and pushing. What happened today was not for me alone, but for everyone in London,” said Sawe after breaking the record
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London Marathon 2026
Behind him, Ethiopia’s Yomif Kejelcha pushed the pace and also finished inside the two-hour mark in 1:59:41, while Uganda’s Jacob Kiplimo clocked 2:00:28, completing one of the deepest marathon races ever run.
On winning the London Marathon, Sebastian will earn a total of Ksh42,750,000 Kenyan earnings also include prize money and performance bonuses awarded for finishing first and achieving the record, including becoming the first athlete to complete a marathon under two hours
Sabastian Sawe Career Profile
Sabastian Sawe was born on March 16, 1995. He is a Kenyan long-distance runner specializing in the marathon and road events.
In 2025, he was named World Athletics Men’s Out-of-Stadium Athlete of the Year,
Sawe first gained attention with victories in the 2023 World Athletics Road Running Championships and World Athletics Cross Country Championships, claiming team golds and an individual half-marathon title.
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His 2024 debut at the Valencia Marathon (2:02:05) ranked among the fastest first-time marathons ever.
The following year, he captured the London Marathon (2:02:27) and Berlin Marathon (2:02:16), both under 2:03, making him the dominant marathoner of the season.
He now becomes the first athlete to officially run a marathon in under two hours, clocking 1:59:30 at the London Marathon and surpassing Kelvin Kiptum’s 2023 mark of 2:00:35.
Sawe trains at high altitude with a close-knit distance-running group under coach Claudio Berardelli in Kapsbet, Nandi County.
