Sabastian Sawe lived up to his status as pre-race favorite at the London Marathon, and then some. The 30-year-old Kenyan broke the world record and became the first man to complete the 42 kilometers in less than 2 hours.
When Sawe crossed the finish line at the central London shopping centre, the clock read 1 hour, 59 minutes and 30 seconds, 65 seconds faster than the times set by previous record holder Kelvin Kiptum in 2023.
“I feel good, I’m very happy,” Sawe said after rewriting the record books. “It’s a day to remember.”
Sawe wasn’t the only runner to break a barrier long considered unreachable. Yomif Kejelcha of Ethiopia finished just 11 seconds behind Sawe in second place; Third place went to Jacob Kiplimi of Uganda, who finished just outside the two-hour mark in 2:00:28 but would still have surpassed Kiptum’s old world record.
Conditions were favorable throughout the day. Starting with temperatures around 50 degrees and a tailwind in the final miles, the stage was set for a memorable day.
Sawe and Kejelcha were part of the leading group throughout the day and separated from their four companions, including Kiplimi, beyond the halfway mark. At the time, the world record, much less the two-hour mark, did not appear to be in danger. However, the leading couple quickened the pace.
Sawe, who finished the second half of the race in 59:01, broke free shortly before reaching the finish line.
“I think I was well prepared because coming to London for the second time was very important for me,” Sawe told the BBC. “And that’s why I prepared well. And finally, what I had done for four months, today has turned out to be a good result.”
Sawe’s performance wasn’t the only record-breaking performance on Sunday, however. Ethiopian Tigst Assefa finished the women’s race in 2:15:41, winning a three-way sprint to secure victory by 12 seconds ahead of Kenyan duo Hellen Obiri and Joyciline Jepkosgei.
