Marathon’s Two-Hour Barrier Broken: Kenya’s Sawe Sets New Record with 1:59:30

The formidable two-hour barrier in the full marathon has finally been broken.

Sebastian Sawe of Kenya won the men’s race at the 2026 London Marathon, held in London, UK on the 26th (Korean time), by completing the 42.195 km full course in 1 hour, 59 minutes, and 30 seconds. Sawe etched his name in history as the first human ever to break the two-hour mark in the marathon.

Sawe surpassed the previous world record of 2 hours, 0 minutes, and 35 seconds, set by Kelvin Kiptum of Kenya at the Chicago Marathon in October 2023, by 1 minute and 5 seconds. Yomif Kejelcha of Ethiopia, who finished second, also broke the two-hour barrier, clocking in at 1 hour, 59 minutes, and 41 seconds. Third place went to Jacob Kiplimo of Uganda, who finished in 2 hours, 0 minutes, and 28 seconds, faster than the previous world record.

Sebastian Sauvega crosses the finish line setting a new world record (1 hour 59 minutes 30 seconds) in the men's race at the 2026 London Marathon held in London, UK on the 26th (Korean time). Photo by AP Yonhap News

From the start, Sawe competed in the leading group, passing the halfway point at 1 hour, 0 minutes, and 29 seconds. After crossing the 30 km mark at 1 hour, 26 minutes, and 3 seconds, he surged ahead with Kejelcha, taking command of the race. About 1.7 km before the finish line, Sawe increased his pace, pulled away from Kejelcha, and rewrote marathon history.

After the race, Sawe said, “I felt a surge of strength as I approached the finish line. The focused training over the past four months paid off.” He added, “I was truly happy when I checked the time after crossing the finish line. It will be an unforgettable day.”

Born on March 16, 1996, in Rift Valley, Kenya, Sawe was raised by his grandmother and took up running during his childhood. Like many other Kenyan athletes, he trained at high altitude and developed his skills under the guidance of his uncle, a former middle-distance runner.

A world record was also set in the women’s race.

Tigist Assefa of Ethiopia crossed the finish line in 2 hours, 15 minutes, and 41 seconds, breaking her own previous world record of 2 hours, 15 minutes, and 50 seconds set at last year’s event by 9 seconds. Second place went to Hellen Obiri (2 hours, 15 minutes, and 53 seconds), and third to Joyciline Jepkosgei (2 hours, 15 minutes, and 55 seconds), both from Kenya.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.