The day the two-hour marathon barrier finally fell in London
In short: On 26 April 2026, the limits of human endurance were rewritten. In a historic performance at the 46th London Marathon, Sabastian Sawe became the first person to complete a marathon in under two hours, leading a race that redefined the boundaries of elite distance running.
The 2026 London Marathon was a landmark event for both the men's and women's elite fields. Sabastian Sawe secured the first sub-two-hour marathon with a time of 1:59:30. He was closely followed by Yomif Kejelcha, who also broke the two-hour barrier with a time of 1:59:41. Kejelcha's performance was particularly notable as it marked the fastest marathon debut in history. The race also saw Jacob Kiplimo finish third, surpassing the previous world record of 2:00:35.
The women's race was equally historic. A time of 2:15:41 saw Tigst Assefa establish a fresh world record for female-only marathon running. This performance improved upon her own previous women-only record of 2:15:50 set the year prior. The depth of the field was unprecedented, as Hellen Obiri and Joyceline Jepkosgei also finished under 2:16:00, marking the first time three women have broken that barrier in a single race.
While the elite performance captured global attention, the event's scale was equally staggering. The race drew 1,133,813 entry ballots, a new world record for marathon applications. Ultimately, 59,830 runners crossed the finish line, setting a Guinness World Record for the largest marathon and surpassing the 2025 New York City Marathon. The event featured a diverse range of participants, from 88-year-old Harry Newton to costumed runners raising funds for charities like the National Deaf Children's Society and the Samaritans.
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- Summary by Intellect · source: 2026 London Marathon
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