Kenya’s Sabastian Sawe delivered a historic performance at the London Marathon on Sunday, becoming the first athlete to officially break the two hour barrier in a competitive race. Sawe surged ahead in the closing stages to win in an astonishing time of 1 hour 59 minutes 30 seconds, setting a new world record and rewriting marathon history.
The defending champion faced a fierce challenge from Ethiopia’s Yomif Kejelcha, who was making his marathon debut. Kejelcha also dipped under the two hour mark, finishing in 1:59:41, while Uganda’s Jacob Kiplomo secured third place in 2:00:28. Remarkably, all three runners finished faster than the previous world record of 2:00:35 set by Kelvin Kiptum in Chicago in 2023.
Sawe expressed his excitement after the race, saying he felt strong throughout and was thrilled upon seeing his finishing time. His preparation and determination were evident as he successfully defended his title and achieved a historic milestone.
The achievement surpasses the famous sub two hour run by Eliud Kipchoge in 2019, which was not officially recognized due to special race conditions and pacing arrangements.
In the women’s race, Ethiopia’s Tigst Assefa delivered another standout performance, winning in 2:15:41 and breaking her own women only world record set on the same course last year. She pulled away from Kenya’s Hellen Obiri and Joyciline Jepkosgei in the final stretch to secure victory.
The event once again showcased elite endurance and growing global interest, with tens of thousands of runners participating and millions raised for charity.
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