Kenyan Sebastian Sawe Becomes the First Athlete to Run the Marathon in Under 2 Hours

Written on 04/27/2026
Carlos Gonzalez
Sebastian Sawe ran the distance at an average speed of 21.18 km/h (13.16 mph). Credit: Leonprimer CC0

Kenyan Sebastian Sawe (31) set a new marathon world record in London on Sunday by finishing in 1 hour, 59 minutes, and 30 seconds. He became the first to complete the 42,195 meters (26.2 miles) in under two hours. Sawe surpassed the previous record of 2:01:25, set in April 2023 by the late Kelvin Kiptum, by 1 minute and 55 seconds.

Sawe was not the only runner to break the two-hour barrier. Ethiopian Yomif Kejelcha (28), competing in his debut marathon, secured second place with a time of 1:59:41, also etching his name into the history books.

The male competition maintained a pace of 2 minutes and 48 seconds per kilometer from the start of the race. Sawe led a group of six runners when he launched an attack at kilometer 30. Only Kejelcha managed to stay by his side; Ugandan Jacob Kiplimo (25) followed a few meters behind and would ultimately finish third. After this acceleration, the Kenyan arrived alone at the finish line in front of Buckingham Palace to consolidate the fastest record ever documented in an official marathon.

Design evolution and the Kipchoge precedent

The athletes’ historic performance stems directly from the use of footwear prototypes with triple carbon plates and high-density foams. Both Sawe and Kejelcha ran in the new Adidas Adizero Adios Pro Evo 3, which costs US$500 and weighs just 97 grams. These shoes optimize energy return in each step and reduce the mechanical load on the calves and Achilles tendon. Since the technology minimizes muscle damage, the runners maintain their efficiency by 2-4%.

The 1:59 Challenge, supported by INEOS, enabled Eliud Kipchoge to run the same distance in 1:59:40.2—under two hours. However, his time was not officially certified. Credit: Olympics.com

This technological trend has a fundamental precedent in the challenge Eliud Kipchoge performed in 2019 during the Ineos 1:59 challenge in Vienna. On that occasion, Kipchoge used Nike Alphafly shoes specifically designed to reduce ground resistance and break the two-hour barrier. While external support prevented that record from gaining official status, the milestone laid the foundation for the footwear technology that enables today’s historic times in London.

Tigst Assefa establishes a new female record

The London marathon also crowned Ethiopian Tigst Assefa (29), who stopped the clock at 2:15:41. With this performance, Assefa set a new world record for women-only races, shaving nine seconds off her own previous mark of 2:15:50.

The athletes reached these marks thanks also to the weather conditions. The temperature of 11 degrees Celsius (51.8 °F) and low humidity were key to maintaining record splits throughout the course.

Course optimization and precision nutrition

The London Marathon organizers optimized the course to facilitate these record times by eliminating three ninety-degree turns in the Docklands sector. This redesigned route also shielded runners from the heavy side-wind gusts coming off the River Thames.

Sports assistance was added to this improvement in the layout. The use of dual-source carbohydrate hydrogels allows an absorption of up to 90 grams per hour. Thanks to this constant energy contribution, the athletes avoid the critical glycogen depletion that usually occurs after 30 kilometers of racing.

Adidas Adizero Adios Pro Evo 3, a model that sold out due to the extremely high demand generated by Sebastian Sawe’s milestone achievement. Credit Adidas

In parallel, technical teams monitored the runners’ hydration through real-time sweat sensors. Authorities validated the records as official after completing doping protocols and the technical measurement of the runners’ carbon soles, a technology with which Adidas has conquered history.