Sebastian Sawe Breaks Marathon Barrier: How He Completed the London Marathon in Under 2 Hours

Sebastian Sawe became the first runner to complete an official marathon in under two hours, producing a sensational performance at the 2026 London Marathon.

Sawe crossed the finish line first and, speaking to reporters afterwards, said he felt stronger as the race reached its final stages. “I actually felt stronger as I got closer to the finish,” he said. “When I saw the time, I was overjoyed — this will be a day I’ll never forget.” He added that the achievement was a collective effort: “This isn’t just my result; it’s the product of everyone’s work.”

Sawe covered the 42.195 km (26.22 mi) course in 1:59:30, trimming 1 minute 5 seconds off the previous world record and becoming the first athlete to break the two-hour barrier in a sanctioned marathon. The prior mark was 2:00:35, set by Kelvin Kiptum at the 2023 Chicago Marathon.

His race plan was textbook. Sawe ran conservatively through the early miles, then accelerated from about 30 km (18.6 mi). He split 30–35 km in 13:54 and 35–40 km in 13:42, mounting a decisive late surge. The BBC described it as an extraordinary race — faster in the second half than the first.

On race day Sawe wore ultra-light marathon shoes weighing less than 100 g (about 3.5 oz). After the finish he wrote his time on the shoes and posed for photos.

Born in 1996 in Kenya’s Rift Valley, Sawe began running as a child while raised by his grandmother. He developed under high-altitude training and guidance from an uncle who competed as a middle-distance runner. He first drew attention with a seventh-place finish in the 10 km at the 2023 World Cross Country Championships, then announced himself on the road with a 2:02:05 at the 2024 Valencia Marathon, followed by back-to-back wins in London and Berlin.

As his profile rose, Sawe voluntarily submitted to more than 20 anti-doping tests to head off controversy. Despite a brief training hiatus earlier this year due to injury, he returned to peak form and delivered this historic performance.