Kiptum Shatters London Marathon Record in Historic Win

London, April 26 — Kenya’s Sabastian Sawe made marathon history in London by becoming the first man to finish the distance in under two hours, taking victory at the London Marathon on Sunday in 1:59:30.

Officials said Sawe’s winning time moved the men’s benchmark beyond the previous world record of 2:00:35, which had been set by Kelvin Kiptum in October 2023. The result placed London at the center of a major milestone for the sport, with the men’s race producing multiple times clustered around the two-hour mark.

Ethiopia’s Yomif Kejelcha finished second in 1:59:41, while Uganda’s Jacob Kiplimo took third in 2:00:28. Race results showed this was the first time three men have completed a marathon in under 2 hours and 1 minute, underscoring how tightly contested the front of the field was on the day.

Organizers noted that conditions in London were favorable for fast running, with mild temperatures and light winds. Those factors were cited as supportive of the pace required to produce record-level performances across the leading group.

In the women’s elite race, Ethiopia’s Tigst Assefa won and lowered her own women’s-only world record, finishing in 2:15:41. Her new mark improved on her prior women’s-only record of 2:15:50, which had been set in London last year, according to race information.

Kenya’s Hellen Obiri placed second in 2:15:53, and Joyciline Jepkosgei finished third in 2:15:55. The close finishing times among the top women mirrored the competitiveness seen in the men’s race, with the leading trio separated by seconds.