Kenya’s Sabastian Sawe Makes History With 1:59:30 London Marathon Run

Kenya’s Sabastian Sawe Makes History With 1:59:30 London Marathon Run

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World record holder Sabastian Sawe celebrates his historic achievement. Upon his return, he was honoured with a Presidential award and a car with a “1:59:30” number plate. Photo Credit: World Athletics/Instagram 
On Sunday, 26th April 2026, something happened in London that the world of athletics has been waiting for, debating, and wondering about for decades. Sabastian Sawe of Kenya crossed the finish line at the TCS London Marathon in one hour, 59 minutes, and 30 seconds — becoming the first athlete in history to run a marathon in under two hours in a competitive, record-eligible race.
A previous sub-two-hour run by Eliud Kipchoge in the INEOS 1:59 Challenge in 2019 was not recognised as a valid record as it was not achieved under race conditions. Sawe did it under full competitive conditions, with no revolving pacers, in front of 800,000 spectators lining the streets of London. His time was also ten seconds faster than Kipchoge’s famous INEOS run, and 65 seconds faster than the previous official world record held by the late Kelvin Kiptum.
The man who did it is 31 years old, born in the village of Barsombe in the Rift Valley Province of Kenya, raised primarily by his grandmother in a house with mud walls and no electricity. He attended St Patrick’s High School in Iten, Kenya’s renowned running town, and only made his marathon debut in 2024 at the Valencia Marathon, winning in 2:02:05. Two years later, he holds the world record and has rewritten the history books.
Sabastian Sawe celebrates at the finish line of the 2026 London Marathon. His record-breaking time of 1:59:30 marks the first time an athlete has officially run a competitive marathon in under two hours. Photo Credit: World Athletics/Instagram 
What made Sunday’s race even more remarkable is that Sawe was injured in January and only started training in February, meaning his preparation window for the most significant race of his life was barely two months long.
The race itself was extraordinary from the outset. The lead group moved through the early miles at a controlled but ambitious pace, hitting halfway in 1:00:29. The decisive phase came between 30km and 35km, when Sawe and Ethiopia’s Yomif Kejelcha edged clear of the rest. Sawe then made his move with one mile remaining, breaking away from Kejelcha and pressing on alone to the finish line. He ran the second half of the race in 59:01, faster than the first half, a negative split that speaks to a level of physical control that is genuinely difficult to comprehend.
After crossing the line, Sawe told reporters: “I feel good, I’m so Excited. It is a day to remember for me. We started the race well, and I felt strong as we approached finishing the end. When I got to the finish line, I saw the time and I was so excited.” He added: “Coming to London for the second time was so important to me and that’s why I prepared well for it. What I had done for four months, it has come today to be a good result.”
Sabastian Sawe captures the world’s attention with a historic 1:59:30 finish, becoming the first athlete to break the 2-hour marathon barrier in a competitive race. Photo Credit: adidas Running/Instagram 
On realising he had broken the record, he said: “I realised when finishing the race because I had been so focused on competing with my friend Yomif. Finally, he dropped and at the finish line I saw I was there in 1:59. And that’s when I realised. It is a day to remember for me and my family.”
Eliud Kipchoge said afterwards: “My deepest congratulations to both Sabastian Sawe and Yomif Kejelcha. Breaking the sub-two-hour barrier in the marathon has long been a dream for runners everywhere, and today you’ve made that dream come true.” Former women’s world record holder Paula Radcliffe added: “We’ve witnessed history being made, but it is more than that. It is an iconic barrier that there has been this discussion over for a long time about whether it is even possible.”
Sabastian Sawe and Yomif Kejelcha competing during the 2026 London Marathon where Sawe broke the sub-two-hour world record. Photo Credit: World Athletics/Instagram 
The race also saw Ethiopia’s Yomif Kejelcha finish second in 1:59:41 — the second-fastest time in history and the fastest marathon debut ever recorded — while Uganda’s Jacob Kiplimo finished third in 2:00:28, also inside the previous world record. Three men, one race, all under what was previously considered an impossible barrier.
Sabastian Sawe’s return to Kenya was met with a reception befitting a global icon. In recognition of his historic sub-two-hour run, the Kenyan government honoured him with a Presidential award of $61,000 (KSh 8 million) and a brand-new car featuring a custom “1:59:30” number plate.
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