Sabastian Sawe breaks world record with first sub-2-hour marathon in London.

Sabastian Sawe from Kenya achieved a remarkable feat in the marathon, completing the London Marathon in an unofficial time of 1 hour, 59 minutes, and 30 seconds, thereby surpassing the two-hour mark.

This performance by Sawe eclipsed the previous world record of 2:00:35, which had been established by the deceased Kelvin Kiptum during the 2023 Chicago Marathon.

While another Kenyan runner, Eliud Kipchoge, completed a marathon in 1:59:40.2 back in 2019, this attempt was not conducted under the official conditions required for a world record.

Yomif Kejelcha, an Ethiopian athlete, secured the second position on Sunday, clocking a time of 1:59:41 in his inaugural marathon appearance.

Outcomes of the 2026 London Marathon

The premier ten finishes and significant performances from the 2026 London Marathon, accompanied by a link to comprehensive, searchable outcomes.

Tigst Assefa, hailing from Ethiopia, successfully defended her title as the women’s champion, recording an unofficial time of 2:15:41. This time surpassed her previous world record for a women-only race, which was 2:15:50, also established in London during the prior year.

This particular achievement ranks as the fifteenth quickest overall in history, trailing only fourteen instances from marathons where female competitors either ran concurrently with men or benefited from male pacemakers.

Assefa established a lead over Hellen Obiri of Kenya in the final 385-yard stretch leading to The Mall, finishing 12 seconds in front. Obiri holds the distinction of being a two-time victor in both the Boston and New York City Marathons.

Joyciline Jepkosgei, also from Kenya, completed the race just two seconds behind Obiri. Jepkosgei had previously been recognized as the fastest female marathoner globally in 2025, having achieved a time of 2:14:00 in Valencia, Spain, that December.

The subsequent significant marathon event is scheduled for August 30 in Sydney, Australia. Sydney entered the circuit as a World Marathon Major in 2025, marking its inclusion as the seventh yearly major competition.

Outcomes from the 2026 Boston Marathon

Performance records from the one hundred thirtieth Boston Marathon, held on April 19, 2026.