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The Kenyan Sabastian Sawe made history this Sunday by becoming the first human to run an official marathon in under two hours, crossing the finish line of the London Marathon with a time of 1h 59m 30s, in front of Buckingham Palace, shattering one of the last major barriers in world athletics.
The time of Sawe shattered the previous world record of 2:00:35, which belonged to the late Kenyan Kelvin Kiptum, in just 65 seconds from the Chicago Marathon in October 2023. Kiptum died on February 11, 2024, in a traffic accident in Kenya, without having had the chance to attempt breaking the barrier he had left just 35 seconds away.
The complete podium of this 46th edition is now a part of athletic history. The Ethiopian Yomif Kejelcha finished second in 1:59:41, also below two hours, in his absolute debut at this distance. The Ugandan Jacob Kiplimo came in third with a time of 2:00:28, also under the previous record set by Kiptum. This was the first time in history that three athletes finished a marathon in under 2:00:35 in the same race, as reported by El País.
The race was an exercise in precision and bravery. Sawe led a group of six runners who completed the half marathon in 1:00:29. At kilometer 29, he launched his first attack, and only Kejelcha was able to keep up with him. Both flew together under Big Ben until Sawe unleashed his final attack, covering the segment between kilometer 29 and kilometer 39 in just 27 minutes and 36 seconds, and the final stretch from kilometer 40 to the finish line in 5 minutes and 51 seconds, as noted by the Spanish newspaper.
A detail that illustrates the magnitude of the achievement, according to the source, is that during the second half of the marathon, already without pacers to set the pace, she completed it in 59 minutes and one second, a time that even surpasses the Spanish record for the half marathon, which stands at 59 minutes and 39 seconds.
Sawe was wearing the new Adidas Adizero Adios Pro Evo 3, the first competition shoe that weighs less than 100 grams, featuring an integrated carbon plate and ultra-light foam. "I am very happy. It's a day to remember. When I finally reached the finish line, I saw the time and I felt so emotional. Everything I worked on for four months has paid off today," the athlete stated, as reported by France 24.
The two-hour barrier had been the major challenge in long-distance athletics over the last decade. The Kenyan Eliud Kipchoge came close in October 2019, when he ran 1:59:40 at the INEOS 1:59 Challenge in the Prater of Vienna, but the mark was not ratified by World Athletics due to the artificial conditions: pace-setters in a V formation, a pace vehicle, and a non-standard circuit. Kipchoge, named athlete of the year in 2018, was the great pioneer of this era, but the official glory was reserved for Sawe.
The record of the new record holder is impeccable: four marathons, four victories. He made his debut in Valencia in December 2024 with a time of 2:02:05, won in London in April 2025 with 2:02:27, triumphed in Berlin in September 2025 with 2:02:16, and this Sunday secured his name in the history books with a time of 1:59:30, notes El País.
In the women's event, the Ethiopian Tigst Assefa also made history by defending her title and improving the world record for women's marathons with a time of 2:15:41, nine seconds better than her own mark from the previous year. "I am so happy to win again. The happiness I feel simply overwhelms me from within," Assefa stated. About 59,000 people completed the 42.195 km course this Sunday, in an event that organizers are already considering extending to two days in 2027, which would allow for the participation of up to 100,000 runners, according to France 24.
The ESPN commentators joyfully claimed that Sabastian Sawe's achievement is not only a victory for athletics or sports, but a remarkable feat of humanity.
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