Sebastian Sawe Breaks Two-Hour Barrier In Historic London Marathon
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Kenyan runner Sebastian Sawe made history at the London Marathon on April 26, 2026. The 31-year-old crossed the finish line in 1:59:30, becoming the first person to complete an official marathon in under two hours. However, Sawe’s performance was just one highlight of an extraordinary race.
Ethiopia’s Yomif Kejelcha finished second in 1:59:41, also breaking the two-hour barrier. Uganda’s Jacob Kiplimo placed third in 2:00:28. Remarkably, all three men ran faster than the previous world record of 2:00:35. That record was set by Kelvin Kiptum at the 2023 Chicago Marathon.
The three lead runners started with a steady but quick pace, reaching the halfway point in 1:00:29. The real excitement began around the 19-mile (30 km) mark. At this point, Sawe and Kejelcha started to pull away from Kiplimo. The two leaders picked up speed, running in sync toward the finish. Then, with just about a mile (1.6 km) to go, Sawe surged ahead of Kejelcha, sealing his place in history.
"I saw the clock at the finish line, and I couldn’t believe it," Sawe said afterward. "I have shown the next generation that nothing is impossible. It is just a matter of time and belief."
Sawe credited his speed to his Adidas Adizero Adios Pro Evo 3 shoes. The lightweight racing shoe features a carbon-fiber plate and advanced foam. It is designed to act like a spring to help propel runners forward.
"The big difference is it's so light and very comfortable," Sawe told reporters.
Sawe’s rise to this moment had been steady. Growing up in Kenya, he learned to run in one of the most competitive places in the world. His breakthrough came at the 2024 Valencia Marathon, where he won his debut in 2:02:05. This was one of the fastest debut marathons ever recorded. Since then, Sawe has won every race he has entered. His victory at the 2026 London Marathon confirms his status as one of the world's leading marathoners.
While Sawe was the first to break two hours in official competition, the barrier had been crossed before. In 2019, fellow Kenyan Eliud Kipchoge ran under two hours in a specially organized event in Austria. However, that run was not recognized as an official world record because other runners helped set the pace throughout the attempt.
Resources: Worldathletics.org, marathonhandbook.org, Londonmarathonevents.co.uk
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36 Comments
loladofigule17 daysWow! He ran a pace of under 4 minutes 30 seconds per mile for 26.22 miles! This guy must have cray endurance
kodonumu-17423485586418 daysI love this story. He must be pretty fast to beat the world record- js54752320 daysThis guy is really fast he might be faster then Usain Bolt but Noah Lyles is faster then Usain bolt and this guy is actually catching up to both of them.
iliketertols6521 daysI would never been able to do that, that is so cool for him also 🏃👟- nynotavagiri21 daysAmaze amaze
bookwermthebard21 daysIncredible!- iliketertols6521 daysThat is so cool
anglekitty21 daysi wish i could run that fast- anglekitty21 dayshi i love that
chocolaterose7522 daysA mile every four and a half minutes! That's not going to happen for me!
