Sabastian Sawe smashed the marathon world record and became the first man to break the two-hour barrier in an official competition to win the London Marathon in one hour, 59 minutes and 30 seconds.
The Kenyan defended his 2025 title, beating Yomif Kejelcha by 11 seconds. The Ethiopian runner-up also crossed the line in an astonishing one hour, 59 minutes and 41 seconds, while Jacob Kiplimo of Uganda finished third in two hours, 28 seconds.
All three were faster than the previous official world record of two hours, 35 seconds set by the late Kelvin Kiptum in 2023, while Sawe’s time was also 10 seconds faster than the unofficial one hour, 59 minutes and 40 seconds set by Eliud Kipchoge in 2019.
There was also a new standard set in the women’s race, won by Tigst Assefa, who defended her London Marathon crown in a women’s-only world record two hours, 15 minutes and 41 seconds, with both subject to official ratification.
Conditions were ideal in London, where the men got out to a blazing start, and Sawe was under the world record pace at the 10-kilometre mark before there was a collective let-up near Cutty Sark.
The main contenders remained grouped together five kilometres later, and at the halfway point Sawe clocked in at one hour, 29 seconds.
Sawe and Kejelcha eventually pulled ahead of Kiplimo, who was two seconds behind the leaders 30 kilometres in, and the front two had opened their lead even further five kilometres later.
Just as it looked like only the course record would be the one to fall, Sawe found another gear and set himself on course to make history.
