The first sub-two-hour marathon in a record-eligible race
Sabastian Sawe wins the London Marathon in 1:59:30, taking one minute five seconds off Kelvin Kiptum's 2:00:35 and becoming the first athlete to run under two hours in a race that satisfies the record criteria; Yomif Kejelcha finishes second, also inside two hours. Tigst Assefa runs 2:15:41 for a women-only world record on the same day. The race reports 59,830 finishers. The men's world record, which lived in Berlin for most of a quarter-century and in Chicago from 2023, is now held on the London course.
Historical — it happened, and the record is settled.
Subjects
- London Marathon · route · United Kingdom
- The marathon distance (42.195 km / 26 miles 385 yards) · concept · not located
- Carbon-plated road racing shoe · technology · not located
- The mass-participation city marathon · cultural practice · not located
Evidence
Partly verified — Core facts are sourced; some optional detail is deliberately absent.
London Marathon 2026: Sabastian Sawe becomes first man to run a marathon under two hours
On 26 April 2026 Sabastian Sawe won the London Marathon in 1:59:30, the first sub-two-hour performance in a record-eligible marathon, ahead of Yomif Kejelcha in 1:59:41; Tigst Assefa ran 2:15:41 for a women-only world record; the race reported 59,830 finishers. V55 verification basis: three independent race reports were retrieved in summary and agree on the times; no World Athletics ratification notice was found, so the marks are reported as run, not as ratified.
Sky Sports; corroborated by Olympics.com and FloTrack · 2026-04-26 · Partly verified
https://www.skysports.com/more-sports/athletics/news/29175/13536719/sabastian-sawe-wins-london-marathon-and-becomes-first-man-to-run-marathon-under-two-hours
Recorded on London Marathon
- The 1908 Olympic marathon fixes 26 miles 385 yards
- The 1908 distance becomes the world standard
- Boston lengthens its course and moves the start to Hopkinton
- New York goes to five boroughs
- The first London Marathon
- The World Marathon Majors series is announced
- The first Tokyo Marathon
- Bombings at the Boston Marathon finish line
- World Athletics regulates the racing shoe
- Kelvin Kiptum runs 2:00:35 in Chicago
- Ruth Chepngetich runs 2:09:56 in Chicago
- Tigst Assefa sets a women-only world record in London
- The first sub-two-hour marathon in a record-eligible race
Related
Related because they share a subject in the Atlas — never because the text looks similar.
- Tigst Assefa sets a women-only world record in London · 2025
- Ruth Chepngetich runs 2:09:56 in Chicago · 2024-10-13
- Kelvin Kiptum runs 2:00:35 in Chicago · 2023-10-08
- World Athletics regulates the racing shoe · 2020-01-31
- Bombings at the Boston Marathon finish line · 2013-04-15
- The first Tokyo Marathon · 2007-02-18
- The World Marathon Majors series is announced · 2006-01-23
- The first London Marathon · 1981-03-29