Kenya’s Sabastian Sawe created history on 26 April 2026 at the London Marathon by becoming the first athlete to officially run a marathon under two hours, finishing in 1:59:30 and breaking Kelvin Kiptum’s 2023 record (2:00:35). The race distance of a marathon is 42.195 km, a standard set during the 1908 London Olympics.
The marathon traces its origin to ancient Greece, inspired by the legend of a messenger Pheidippides, who ran from Marathon to Athens to announce victory in a battle.
Sawe’s achievement, along with Tigst Assefa’s women-only world record, marks a historic milestone in athletics, proving that the sub-2 hour barrier is achievable in official competition and making it highly important for current affairs.
