Sebastian Sawe Breaks Two-Hour Marathon Mark for First Time in History at London Marathon
Kenyan defender wins in 1:59:30 as Tigst Assefa sets women's-only world record
Quick Look
- Kenya's Sebastian Sawe became the first human to break the two-hour marathon barrier, winning the London Marathon in 1:59:30 on Sunday.
- Ethiopia's Yomif Kejelcha also dipped under two hours on his debut (1:59:41), with Uganda's Jacob Kiplomo third.
- Tigst Assefa smashed her own women's-only world record in the women's race.
AI-generated summary
Why It Matters
This is the first time in history a human has broken the two-hour marathon barrier. The previous men's world record of 2:00:35 was set in Chicago in 2023 by the late Kelvin Kiptum.
Sebastian Sawe broke the two-hour mark for the first time in history on Sunday in winning the London Marathon as Tigst Assefa smashed her own women’s-only world record. Kenya’s defending champion Sawe was locked in a tight battle with Ethiopia’s Yomif Kejelcha in the closing stages but surged clear to cross the line in one hour, 59 minutes and 30 seconds. Kejelcha, running his first-ever marathon, also dipped under two hours, with a time of 1:59:41, with Uganda’s Jacob Kiplomo third (2:00:28). All three finished under the previous men’s world record of 2:00:35 set in Chicago in 2023 by the late Kelvin Kiptum. “We started the race well and at the end of the race, I was feeling strong,” Sawe said. “Finally reaching the finishing line, I saw the time, and I was so excited to see I had run a world record today.
Open Questions
- Will other runners now achieve sub-2 hour marathons?
- What impact will this have on future marathon training and records?
