Sabastian Sawe becomes first person to run under two hours in a marathon, winning London race in record 1:59:30

Kenya’s Sabastian Sawe became the first person to ever crash the two-hour mark in a marathon on Sunday by winning the London Marathon in a record 1 hour, 59 minutes and 30 seconds.

Sawe, 29, celebrated as the fans along the route helped push him to the record.

“What comes today is not for me alone,” Sawe said according to the Associated Press, “but for all of us today in London.”

The late Kelvin Kiptum set the previous world record at the 2023 Chicago Marathon in 2 hours, 35 seconds.

Two other runners on Sunday in London also broke Kiptum’s previous world record: Yomif Kejelcha of Ethiopia in 1:59:41; and Jacob Kiplimo of Uganda in 2:00:28. Kiptum died in a car crash in 2024.

Sawe had the record in his sights as he ran the final split in a 4:17-per-mile pace.

“It’s a day to remember for me,” Sawe said via the BBC.

Ethiopia’s Tigst Assefa also broke her own world record in a women’s-only race, winning in 2:15:41. nine seconds lower than her previous mark.

repeated as women’s champion in an unofficial 2:15:41, breaking her own world record for a women’s only race of 2:15:50 set in London last year.

“To do that brought me a lot of satisfaction,” Assefa said via an interpreter after the race.