Kenyan Sabastian Sawe shattered expectations at the 2026 London Marathon, becoming the first athlete to finish a competitive race in under two hours. He crossed the line in 1:59:30, eclipsing Kelvin Kiptum’s 2023 course record of 2:00:35 by more than a minute. While Eliud Kipchoge broke the barrier in a paced exhibition in 2019, Sawe’s achievement counts for official records.

Sawe accelerated decisively before the final 10km, leaving only debutant Yomif Kejelcha to shadow him. Kejelcha held on for a 1:59:41 finish, becoming the second man to dip under two hours in race conditions. Jacob Kiplimo completed the podium in 2:00:28, also beating Kiptum’s mark. Sawe wore Adidas supershoes and sliced two minutes and 35 seconds off his personal best.

In the women’s field, Ethiopia’s Tigist Assefa lowered her own women‑only world record to 2:15:41, securing a back‑to‑back London title. Swiss veteran Marcel Hug tied David Weir’s record with an eighth wheelchair victory, while Catherine Debrunner claimed her fourth women’s wheel‑chair win. The marathon’s historic moments underscore how equipment, pacing and depth of competition are redefining global elite distance running.