Kenya’s Sabastian Sawe became the first person to run a marathon in under two hours, winning the London Marathon in 1 hour 59 minutes 30 seconds on Sunday over the 26.2-mile (42.2 km) course. The 30-year-old crossed the line in 1:59:30 to claim the title and a historic milestone.
Sawe’s time was 65 seconds faster than the mark set by fellow Kenyan Kelvin Kiptum in Chicago in 2023, and 10 seconds quicker than Eliud Kipchoge’s 2019 Vienna run — a performance not recognized as an official world record because it took place outside open competition and used pacemakers.
There was a standout performance in the women’s race as well. Ethiopia’s Tigst Assefa successfully defended her London title in 2 hours 15 minutes 41 seconds, the fastest time ever recorded in a women’s-only race. Assefa pulled clear in the final 500 metres to secure the win; her time was 16 seconds slower than Paula Radcliffe’s overall course record set in a mixed race in 2003.
Swiss athletes completed a double in the wheelchair events. Marcel Hug claimed a sixth consecutive men’s wheelchair title and his eighth overall, while compatriot Catherine Debrunner narrowly edged Tatyana McFadden to retain the women’s wheelchair crown.
Edited by Sean Sinico