Sabastian Sawe breaks two-hour marathon world record in London 2026
Consensus Summary
Sabastian Sawe made history on April 25, 2026, by becoming the first athlete to break the two-hour marathon barrier in an official race, clocking 1:59:30 in the London Marathon. His time shattered Kelvin Kiptum’s previous world record of 2:00:35 by 65 seconds, with Yomif Kejelcha finishing second in 1:59:41, also under two hours. The race was aided by ideal conditions—cool temperatures, tailwinds, and a fast course with minimal elevation—and Sawe’s use of Adidas Pro Evo 3 supershoes weighing 96–97 grams. His training regimen included 150 miles per week, and he consumed 325 grams of carbohydrates during the race to avoid hitting the wall. Sawe’s coach, Claudio Berardelli, emphasized his exceptional fitness and potential for further records, while Adidas funded additional drug testing to address doping concerns in Kenyan athletics. The event also saw Tigst Assefa break her own women’s-only world record in 2:15:41, and the marathon set a new record for the largest number of finishers (59,830). Sawe’s achievement was compared to Roger Bannister’s four-minute mile, marking a defining moment in marathon history.
✓ Verified by 2+ sources
Key details reported by multiple sources:
- Sabastian Sawe ran the London Marathon in 1:59:30 on April 25, 2026, breaking the men’s world record by 65 seconds (previous record: 2:00:35 by Kelvin Kiptum in 2023).
- Yomif Kejelcha finished second in 1:59:41, also breaking the two-hour barrier in his marathon debut.
- Jacob Kiplimo finished third in 2:00:28 (Guardian) or 2:02:28 (ABC).
- Sabastian Sawe wore Adidas Pro Evo 3 supershoes weighing 96–97 grams during the race.
- The London Marathon 2026 had 59,830 finishers, breaking the previous record of 59,226 set in New York 2025.
- Tigst Assefa won the women’s race in 2:15:41, breaking her own women’s-only world record (2:15:50).
- Sabastian Sawe trained 150 miles (241 km) per week in the weeks leading up to the race.
- Sawe’s coach, Claudio Berardelli, stated he was fitter in London than in Berlin 2025 due to better conditions.
- Adidas paid the Athletics Integrity Unit $50,000 annually to test Sawe more frequently to prove his clean status.
- Sawe was born in 1994 (age 31 in 2026) and is from western Kenya (Kalenjin ethnic group).
- The London Marathon course has 75 meters of elevation gain over 42.2 km.
- Sawe’s grandmother, Vivian Kimaru, competed in the 1972 Munich Olympics in 1500m and 800m.
Points of Difference
Details reported by only one source:
- Sawe’s agent, Eric Lilot, described him as a 'silent assassin' and said pacemakers were instructed to hit 60:30 for halfway.
- Sawe recovered from a stress fracture in his foot and a back injury in December 2025, which caused him to miss 10 days of training.
- Sawe’s wife, Lydia, welcomed him with orange roses and a sinendet plant wreath at Eldoret airport after his return to Kenya.
- Kenyan President William Ruto presented Sawe with 8 million shillings (£46,000) and custom car plates showing his record time.
- Sawe’s breakfast before the race included bread and honey, and he consumed 325g of carbohydrates during the race.
- Sawe’s second half time was 59:01, faster than Eliud Kipchoge’s 2019 Vienna unofficial marathon time of 1:59:40.
- Sawe’s team used Maurten carbohydrate gels to help him sustain energy in the final stages.
- Sawe’s coach, Claudio Berardelli, stated Sawe had not reached his maximum potential and could run under 1:58 in future races.
- Sawe’s time for the last 5km (30-35km) was 13:54, just 12 seconds slower than the world record for a 5km parkrun.
- Sawe’s father, Chris Brasher, helped pace Roger Bannister’s four-minute mile in 1954, and Hugh Brasher (event director) compared Sawe’s feat to Bannister’s.
- Sawe’s grandmother, Vivian Kimaru, reached the semi-finals in the 1972 Munich Olympics.
- Sawe’s village, Ndonyongaria, is in the Great Rift Valley, where altitude training boosts red blood cell production for endurance.
- Sawe’s record was compared to Eliud Kipchoge’s 2019 INEOS 1:59 Challenge, which was unofficial due to non-standard race conditions.
- Sawe’s rival, Yomif Kejelcha, was a 10,000m silver medalist at the 2025 World Championships.
- Sawe’s time was more than a minute faster than Kelvin Kiptum’s previous world record of 2:00:35.
- Sawe’s performance was described as 'unbelievable' by Steve Cram, who compared it to Roger Bannister’s four-minute mile.
- Sawe’s record was subject to ratification by World Athletics, with concerns about doping in Kenyan athletics raised due to recent scandals involving Ruth Chepngetich and Jackline Sakilu.
- Sabastian Sawe is described as the first person to shatter the two-hour barrier in an official marathon race.
Where the reporting differs
Details that conflict, or appear in only some outlets:
- The Guardian reports Jacob Kiplimo finished third in 2:00:28, while ABC reports 2:02:28.
- The Guardian states Sawe’s supershoes weighed 96 grams, while ABC and other Guardian articles say 97 grams.
- The Guardian mentions Sawe’s second half time was 59:01, but does not explicitly state this in ABC or SBS articles.
- The Guardian reports Sawe’s grandmother competed in the 1972 Munich Olympics, but ABC does not mention this detail.
Source Articles
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Sabastian Sawe receives hero’s welcome in Kenya after sub-two hour marathon feat
Record-breaker says London Marathon win was ‘a victory for all of us’ as he is greeted by family and friends in Eldoret Hugged, cheered and adorned with garlands, the first man to run an official marathon in under two hours has returned as a hero to his home village in Kenya. Sabastian Sawe, who stunned the world when he clocked 1h 59m 30s in the London Marathon last weekend, flew in a Kenyan military plane normally reserved for special operations on Thursday to his home region of western Kenya.
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‘I can run 1:58’: Sabastian Sawe sets new target after historic London Marathon win
Berlin on agenda in September for new record holder Athlete wants more drugs testing to show ‘we are clean’ Sabastian Sawe believes it is only a matter of time before he runs a marathon in one hour and 58 minutes after his superhuman sub-two hour performance in London on Sunday. Speaking the day after he ran 1hr 59 mins and 30 seconds to break the world record by 65 seconds, the 31-year-old Kenyan confirmed that he planned to race again in the autumn – although he hasn’t decided where yet. Conti
Sabastian Sawe breaks two-hour barrier to make history in London Marathon
Kenyan wins men’s race in 1hr 59mins 30secs Ethiopia’s Tigist Assefa defends her women’s title They call Sabastian Sawe the silent assassin. But it was impossible to ignore the beautiful destruction on the streets of London as the 30-year-old Kenyan became the first athlete to shatter the two-hour barrier in an official race. As Sawe crossed the line on the Mall, the clock showed that he had run 26.2 miles in a staggering 1 hour, 59mins and 30 seconds – 65 seconds faster than the previous best s
Bread and honey for breakfast and 150 miles a week training: secrets of Sawe’s world record
Kenyan first man to run sub-two-hour marathon ‘I have shown that nothing is not possible’ Sabastian Sawe’s astonishing world marathon record of one hour 59 minutes and 30 seconds at Sunday’s London Marathon was fuelled by running 150 miles a week, wearing the lightest super shoes in history and a pre-race breakfast of bread and honey, the Kenyan and his team have revealed. With an estimated 800,000 watching in the capital, the 31-year-old became the first man to run a sub-two-hour marathon in
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Sabastian Sawe’s sub-two marathon feat is the Roger Bannister moment of our time | Sean Ingle
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