Kenya’s Sabastian Sawe runs sub-2 world record at London Marathon
Runner-up Yomif Kejelcha of Ethiopia also broke the two-hour barrier, while his compatriot Tigst Assefa lowered the women-only record
Kevin Morris
Fans showed up to Sunday’s London Marathon, the third stop on the 2026 Abbott World Marathon Majors circuit, expecting fast performances, but ended up witnessing history. Defending champion, Kenya’s Sabastian Sawe, delivered an unbelievable performance to break the two-hour barrier, with Ethiopia’s Yomif Kejelcha also dipping under the mark in a stunning marathon debut. On the women’s side, defending champion Tigst Assefa of Ethiopia pulled clear of Kenya’s Hellen Obiri to lower her own women-only world record, finishing in 2:15:41.
Men’s race
Pre-race expectations centred around Sawe and Uganda’s Jacob Kiplimo, who, along with a deep field, were expected to challenge the London course record of 2:01:25 set by the late Kelvin Kiptum in 2023. Sunday’s weather conditions were ideal, and a large lead group stayed together through the first half.
With less than 10 kilometres left, Sawe began to push the pace, and the group thinned quickly, with only Kejelcha hanging on. Sawe broke away over the closing miles, charging ahead in the home stretch and crossing the line in 1:59:30, becoming the first athlete to run under two hours in a record-eligible marathon. Kejelcha followed in 1:59:41, also under the barrier, while Kiplimo rounded out the podium in 2:00:28. The entire podium ran faster than the previous course record, and behind them, another five men finished in under 2:03.
“I feel good, I’m so happy. It is a day to remember for me,” Sawe told media post-race.
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Top 10 men
1 Sabastian Sawe (KEN) 01:59:30
2 Yomif Kejelcha (ETH) 01:59:41
3 Jacob Kiplimo (UGA) 02:00:28
4 Amos Kipruto (KEN) 02:01:39
5 Tamirat Tola (ETH) 02:02:5
6 Deresa Geleta (ETH) 2:03:23
7 Addisu Gobena (ETH) 2:05:23
8 Geoffrey Kamworor (KEN) 2:05:38
9 Peter Lynch (IRL) 2:06:08
10 Mahamed Mahamed (GBR) 2:06:14
Women’s race
The women’s race settled early, with defending champion Assefa, Obiri (who won Olympic marathon bronze in 2024) and Joyciline Jepkosgei, the former half-marathon world record holder, breaking away from the field and moving steadily ahead. They came through halfway in 1:06:12, 30 seconds faster than Assefa’s record-breaking pace last year, and although the pace eased slightly in the second half, it was still setting them up for a speedy, close finish.
Assefa began to charge clear over the final stretch and held it until she crossed the line, finishing in 2:15:41 to take nine seconds off the women-only world record she set in London last year. (The women’s race in London is run without male pacemakers, which is why the mark is classified separately.) Obiri followed in 2:15:53, with Jepkosgei just behind in 2:15:55.
Top 10 women
1 Tigst Assefa (ETH) 02:15:41
2 Hellen Obiri (KEN) 02:15:53
3 Joyciline Jepkosgei (KEN) 02:15:55
4 Degitu Azimeraw (ETH) 02:19:13
5 Catherine Reline Amanang’ole (KEN) 02:21:20
6 Eunice Chumba (BRN) 2:23:44
7 Eilish McColgan (GBR) 2:24:51
8 Julia Paternain (URU) 2:25:47
9 Rose Harvey (GBR) 2:26:14
10 Marta Galimany (ESP) 2:27:38