SABASTIAN SAWE BREAKS TWO HOURS, TIGST ASSEFA SETS WOMEN'S WORLD RECORD AT 2026 LONDON MARATHON

Sabastian Sawe ran 1:59:30 at the 2026 London Marathon. No runner had ever finished a ratifiable marathon in under two hours before today. The Kenyan beat Kelvin Kiptum's world record of 2:00:35 from Chicago in 2023 by 65 seconds, and broke the London Marathon course record of 2:01:25 by 1:55.

Yomif Kejelcha finished second in 1:59:41, also under the previous world record. The Ethiopian ran a marathon for the first time in his career. Uganda's Jacob Kiplimo took third in 2:00:28, finishing 28 seconds outside two hours.

Two men broke two hours on the same day. Eliud Kipchoge had previously run 1:59:40 at the INEOS 1:59 Challenge in Vienna in 2019, but that effort used rotating pacers and a closed course staged by sponsors, and World Athletics did not ratify it. Today's race was a standard London Marathon with conventional pacing rules and a sanctioned field.

Amos Kipruto finished fourth in 2:01:39 with a personal best, and former London champion Tamirat Tola completed the top five in 2:02:59. All five top finishers ran under 2:03:00.

Women's race

Tigst Assefa of Ethiopia defended her title in 2:15:41, breaking the women's-only world record by nine seconds. The previous mark of 2:15:50 was Assefa's own time from London in 2025.

Hellen Obiri finished second in 2:15:53, a personal best. Kenya's Joyciline Jepkosgei took third in 2:15:55. The top three all finished under the previous women's-only world record.

The race had been billed as one of the deepest women's fields ever assembled at a major marathon. Degitu Azimeraw was fourth in 2:19:13, and Catherine Reline Amanang'ole completed the top five in 2:21:20.

Paula Radcliffe's overall London Marathon course record of 2:15:25, set in 2003 with male pacers, remains intact. Radcliffe's mark predates the women's-only world record category, which World Athletics introduced in 2021.

Wheelchair races

Marcel Hug won the men's wheelchair race in 1:24:13. Catherine Debrunner won the women's wheelchair race in 1:38:29, her fourth London title, edging Tatyana McFadden by four seconds.

What it means

The 2026 London Marathon produced the first ratified sub-two-hour marathon, the two fastest ratified marathons ever, and a women's-only world record. The men's course record had stood at 2:01:25 since Kelvin Kiptum's run in 2023. Sawe shaved 1:55 off that mark in a single race.