Kenya’s Sabastian Sawe etched his name into history on Sunday by becoming the first runner to officially complete a marathon in under two hours, winning the London Marathon in 1:59:30.

Sawe broke away from Ethiopia’s Yomif Kejelcha in the closing stages of a tightly contested race. Kejelcha, making his marathon debut, also dipped below the two-hour mark, finishing in 1:59:41, while Uganda’s Jacob Kiplimo placed third in 2:00:28.

All three runners finished faster than the previous men’s world record of 2:00:35 set in 2023 by the late Kelvin Kiptum.

“We started the race well, and I felt strong towards the end,” Sawe said. “When I crossed the line and saw the time, I was so excited to realise I had set a world record.”

Although Eliud Kipchoge famously ran 1:59:40 in 2019, the time was not officially recognised due to non-standard race conditions, including controlled pacing and equipment.

Sawe, who wore Adidas’ ultra-light Pro Evo 3 racing shoes, had hinted before the race that both course and world records were within reach. He was part of a lead group that passed the halfway mark in 1:00:29 before pulling away in the final stretch.

Assefa Dominates Women’s Race

In the women’s race, Ethiopia’s Tigst Assefa successfully defended her title, setting a new women’s-only world record of 2:15:41.

Assefa broke away from Kenya’s Hellen Obiri and Joyciline Jepkosgei in the final stages to secure victory.

“I’m so happy to win again,” Assefa said. “It was part of my plan to break my record from last year, and achieving that gives me great satisfaction.”

Obiri finished second in a personal best of 2:15:53, narrowly ahead of Jepkosgei.

The overall women’s world record in a mixed race remains 2:09:56, set by Kenya’s Ruth Chepngetich at the Chicago Marathon in 2024.

Record Participation and Fundraising

More than 59,000 runners took part in this year’s London Marathon, continuing its status as one of the world’s largest races. Organisers are considering expanding the event to two days, potentially allowing up to 100,000 participants.

The 2025 edition raised a record £87.3 million for charity, making it the largest annual one-day fundraising event globally.