Sawe smashes two-hour barrier to make sporting history at the 2026 TCS London Marathon

The 31-year-old defended his crown after a thrilling three-way battle with Ethiopia’s marathon debutant, Yomif Kejelcha, and last year’s runner-up, Jacob Kiplimo of Uganda. It was Sawe’s devastating finish which resulted in the unheard-of time of 1:59:30 as he became the first man ever to run an official marathon under two hours. 

Runner-up Kejelcha was only 11 seconds behind, defying his marathon inexperience as he clung to Sawe’s unprecedented pace to place second in 1:59:41 with Kiplimo third in 2:00:28. 

 The trio were locked together until they reached 30K, but the champion’s negative split of 60:29/59:01 was simply too much for the rest, and he powered through the Finish Line more than a minute inside the late Kelvin Kiptum’s three-year-old world record and nearly two minutes better than Kiptum’s London course best. 

Sawe’s marathon CV now reads four victories, each with a time quicker than 2:03. 

 “I realised [I’d broken the record] when finishing the race because I had been so focused on competing with my friend, Yomif [Kejelcha],” said Sawe afterwards. “Finally, he dropped and at the Finish Line I saw I was there in 1:59. And that’s when I realised. 

 “It is a day to remember for me and my family.” 

It’s a day for the world to remember, too, for this was a feat many said would never happen.  

It was ‘the four-minute mile of marathon running’, and Sawe’s achievement was even more remarkable given he was injured in January and only started training in February. 

Sawe led a group of six Africans through halfway in 60:29, a bare second inside the target time. Twelve months ago, he’d made a decisive move at the 30K mark, and he pulled the same trick this time, again leaving Kiplimo trailing. But this time he had closer company in Kejelcha, whose track pedigree includes two world silver medals at 10,000m and a short track mile world record. 

The leading pair clipped through 35K in 1:39:57 with Kiplimo two seconds back, still hanging on but looking increasingly adrift as Sawe strode down Victoria Embankment, Kejelcha a persistent shadow over his right shoulder. 

This was now a titanic tussle – the champion versus the debutant; Sawe seeking his fourth straight marathon victory, Kejelcha aiming for a record-breaking run on his first outing over 26.2 miles. 

In the end, Kejelcha’s inexperience was his undoing as he ignored his final drink at 40K just as Sawe seemed to find extra energy, snatching his bottle before sprinting clear and surging on past Buckingham Palace and onto the finish straight. 

“I ran a relaxed and controlled race until 41K and then my legs were done,” said Kejelcha. “I’m so happy and proud of myself. This is my dream.” 

Kenya’s 2022 champion, Amos Kipruto, also decimated his personal best in fourth, clocking 2:01:39 with Olympic champion Tamirat Tola fifth in a PB of 2:02:59.  

 Mahamed Mahamed was the first Briton home for the second year in a row, placing 10th with a PB of 2:06:14, just ahead of Patrick Dever, who lowered his best to 2:06:18.