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London Marathon, Sawe breaks two-hour barrier; Kejelcha and Assefa also set records

sportsApr 27, 2026291,668

Sabastian Sawe of Kenya became the first athlete to run a marathon under two hours, winning the 2026 London Marathon in 1:59:30 and breaking Kelvin Kiptum's previous world record of 2:00:35. Ethiopia's Yomif Kejelcha also ran under two hours, and Tigst Assefa set a new women's world record at 2:15:41 to retain her London title. Sawe's sub-two-hour milestone came on a world-record-eligible London course, resetting elite marathon standards and changing expectations for pacing, training and race strategy at the top level.

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