In a historic moment for distance running, Kenya's Sabastian Sawe became the first person to complete a marathon in under two hours under official race conditions, winning the 2026 London Marathon with a time of 1:59:59.
Sawe's achievement, which had long been considered the holy grail of endurance sports, was met with thunderous applause from spectators lining the course. The 26-year-old Kenyan crossed the finish line on The Mall, collapsing to his knees in exhaustion and disbelief.
"This is for all of Kenya," an emotional Sawe said after the race. "I knew I could do it, but to actually achieve it is something else."
The previous world record had stood at 2:00:35, set by Eliud Kipchoge in Berlin in 2022. While Kipchoge had broken two hours in a non-official event with pacers and other aids, Sawe's run met all World Athletics criteria, making it the first officially recognized sub-two-hour marathon.
The Kenyan athlete maintained a blistering pace from the start, passing through the half-marathon mark in 59:45. He then held off a late challenge from Ethiopia's Birhanu Legese, who finished second in 2:01:12.
"This changes everything for the sport," said marathon legend Paula Radcliffe. "We are witnessing history."
Organizers praised the conditions, with cool temperatures and light winds contributing to the record-breaking performance. Sawe's victory adds to Kenya's storied legacy in distance running. The men's race was one of the fastest in history, with five athletes finishing under 2:03.