Sub-2-hour marathon barrier officially broken by two runners at London Marathon

London: The under-two-hour marathon mark was broken officially for the first time on Sunday — twice — as Kenyan champion Sabastian Sawe won this year’s London Marathon in 1:59:30.

Thousands cheered as Sawe crossed the finish line, achieving a feat long considered one of sport’s most elusive milestones. Ethiopia’s Yomif Kejelcha, running his first London Marathon, finished second in 1:59:41, also dipping under the two-hour barrier. Uganda’s Jacob Kiplimo took third in 2:00:28. While just over two hours, his time was still faster than the previous official world record of 2:00:35 held by Kenya’s Kelvin Kiptum. The podium featured three men who all beat the former world record.

“What comes today is not for me alone, but for all of us today in London,” Sawe told reporters after the race. He shattered the previous world record by 65 seconds and ran the second half of the marathon in 59 minutes and 1 second, faster than his first.

It was a sunny, mild day on London’s mostly flat course when Sawe, Kejelcha, and Kiplimo lined up in ultra-light, custom-made running shoes. Sawe credited the crowd for carrying him through. “If it was not for them you don’t feel like you are so loved … with them calling, you feel so happy and strong,” he said.

Runners have targeted the two-hour mark for more than 20 years. In 2019, Kenya’s Eliud Kipchoge ran 1:59:40 in the “1:59 Challenge,” a specially-tailored, unofficial event with rotating pacemakers and ideal conditions. Sunday marked the first time the barrier fell in an official, open race.

The results make the 2026 London Marathon a landmark moment for track and field, with two sub-two-hour finishes and three world-record-beating times in a single race.