Kenya’s Sebastian Sawe made history at the London Marathon on Sunday, breaking the world record and becoming the first runner to complete the distance in under two hours during an official competitive race.
The 31-year-old clocked an extraordinary time of 1:59:30 for the 42.2 km course, setting a new world record and surpassing the previous mark of 2:00:35, which had been held by the late Kenyan runner Kelvin Kiptum at the 2023 Chicago Marathon.
Ethiopia’s Yomif Kejelcha remained close behind Sawe, finishing second in 1:59:41. Uganda’s Jacob Kiplimo secured third place with a time of 2:00:28.
“I am feeling good, I am happy, it’s a day to remember for me,” Sawe told the BBC.
Sawe’s achievement drew praise from Kenyan President William Ruto, who called the result “more than a win.”
“Triumph places you [Sawe] firmly among the greats of global athletics and reaffirms Kenya as an enduring force at the pinnacle of distance running,” Ruto said on X, adding: “You have lifted our flag high, inspired a nation, and reminded the world of the power of determination. We are proud.”
Kenyan legend Eliud Kipchoge famously ran a sub-two-hour marathon in Vienna in 2019, although his time of 1:59:40 was not recognized as a world record as the event was unofficial and held in non-competitive conditions.
The London Marathon also saw a record-breaking run in the women’s race. Ethiopia’s Tigst Assefa set a new world record of 2:15:41, finishing ahead of Kenya’s Helen Obiri and Joyciline Jepkosgei.
Athletes from Kenya have repeatedly broken new ground in long-distance running, consistently remaining among the world’s strongest competitors in major races.
On the same Sunday, Kenyan runner Owen Korir delivered another standout performance by winning the Moscow Half Marathon over 21.1 km in a record time of 59:35. It marked the first time the race had been completed in under an hour. Fellow Kenyan Geoffrey Kipkemboye finished second with a time of 1:01:48.
According to the Russian Embassy in Kenya, the event in Moscow gathered about 23,000 participants from 33 countries.
Earlier in April, another Kenyan athlete, John Korir, claimed victory at the Boston Marathon for the second consecutive year, establishing a new course record of 2:01:52.