Many said it could never be done in a legal competition setting – but Sabastian Sawe proved the doubters wrong over the weekend by clocking a sub-2-hour marathon on the streets of London.
What makes this race even more sensational is that he wasn’t the only one to do it: Ethiopian Yomif Kejelcha also broke the 2-hour barrier, coming second in 1:59:41 on his marathon debut.
How Did Sabastian Sawe Break the Record?
The Kenyan crossed the finish line in 1:59:30, wiping 65 seconds off the previous world record of 2:00:35 set by the late Kelvin Kiptum at the 2023 Chicago Marathon.
Behind the pair of sub-twoers, Jacob Kiplimo of Uganda took bronze in 2:00:28 – a time which would also have broken the previous world record.
Sawe made his decisive move in the final two kilometres, sprinting down The Mall past Buckingham Palace to seal his place in history.
Ireland’s Peter Lynch was the first European finisher in 2:06:28, while Mahamed Mahamed was the best of the Brits, coming home just behind Lynch in 2:06:14.
In the women’s elite race, Ethiopia’s Tigst Assefa retained her title in 2:15:41, breaking her own women’s-only world record set at last year’s London Marathon. Hellen Obiri took second in 2:15:53, with Joyciline Jepkosgei third in 2:15:55.
What Makes Sabastian Sawe’s Run So Special?
While Eliud Kipchoge ran 1:59:40 in Vienna in 2019, that effort was not classed as an official race, meaning it never entered the record books. He and his team used pacing lasers, cars, and a whole host of other tech to break the barrier.
Sebastian Sawe’s performance in London is the first sub-two-hour marathon in a competitive setting.
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