Kenyan long-distance runner Sabastian Sawe has fundamentally altered the landscape of athletics by becoming the first person to break the two-hour marathon barrier in an official, sanctioned race. Finishing the 2026 London Marathon on Sunday in 1:59:30, Sawe set a new world record and prompted a major revision of the all-time marathon leaderboards. London Marathon 2026: Sabastian Sawe Triumphs As First Human To Run Official Sub-Two-Hour Race.

The London Breakthrough

The London Marathon 2026 proved to be the fastest race in distance-running history. Sawe was not the only athlete to break the two-hour threshold on the day; Ethiopia’s Yomif Kejelcha closely followed him to finish at 1:59:41.

Both athletes comfortably surpassed the previous official world record of 2:00:35, which was established by the late Kelvin Kiptum at the Chicago Marathon in October 2023. Uganda’s Jacob Kiplimo also recorded a historic time, finishing third in London at 2:00:28 to secure his place among the fastest marathoners of all time.

Official vs Exhibition Records

The sub-two-hour marathon has long been considered the ultimate frontier in human endurance. Prior to Sawe's achievement, the only person to cover the 26.2-mile distance in under two hours was Eliud Kipchoge. In 2019, Kipchoge clocked 1:59:40 at the Ineos 1:59 Challenge in Vienna.

However, Kipchoge’s time was never ratified as an official world record by World Athletics. The Vienna event was an exhibition that utilised a rotating team of pacemakers and a pace car delivering hydration—conditions that do not comply with standard open-race regulations. Sawe’s run in London, by contrast, was achieved under strict competitive guidelines, earning him the official world record.

An Updated Leaderboard

The exceptional pace of the 2026 London Marathon means the list of the top five fastest men's marathons now features three times from a single race. Kiptum's 2023 Chicago run shifts to fourth on the all-time list, whilst Kipchoge's 2022 Berlin Marathon victory rounds out the top five.  Armand Duplantis Breaks 15th World Record With 6.31m Vault at Mondo Classic.

Men's Top 5 Marathon World Records

Rank Athlete Country Official Time Event & Year
1 Sabastian Sawe Kenya 1:59:30 London Marathon, 2026
2 Yomif Kejelcha Ethiopia 1:59:41 London Marathon, 2026
3 Jacob Kiplimo Uganda 2:00:28 London Marathon, 2026
4 Kelvin Kiptum Kenya 2:00:35 Chicago Marathon, 2023
5 Eliud Kipchoge Kenya 2:01:09 Berlin Marathon, 2022

Advances in sports science, favourable weather conditions, and the continued development of carbon-plated running shoes have all been cited as contributing factors to the rapidly dropping times in elite marathon running. Athletics governing bodies will now officially ratify Sawe's time in the coming weeks.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Apr 26, 2026 10:50 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).