Men’s marathon has officially entered the sub-2 era. At the 2026 London Marathon on April 26, Kenyan star Sebastian Sawe claimed victory in a stunning 1 hour, 59 minutes and 30 seconds, becoming the first athlete to break the two-hour barrier in an official road marathon and rewrite the sport’s history.
The race was legendary, with the top three finishers all surpassing the previous world record of 2:00:35 held by the late Kelvin Kiptum. Ethiopia’s Yomif Kejelcha, making his full marathon debut, took silver in 1:59:41 and also secured the sub-2 milestone, while Uganda’s Jacob Kiplimo claimed bronze in 2:00:28. Humanity’s pursuit of physical limits shone brightest on the streets of London.
Breakthroughs also came in the women’s race, where Ethiopian star Tigst Assefa won in 2:15:41, setting a new world record for the women’s-only marathon.
