Sabastian Sawe Breaks Fabled Two-hour Marathon Barrier, Shatters World Record

LONDON — The fabled two-hour obstruction for a marathon has been broken, officially, successful an once-inconceivable accomplishment successful sports.

Not by 1 runner, but two.

In a title for nan ages, Sabastian Sawe of Kenya won nan London Marathon successful 1 hour, 59 minutes and 30 seconds connected Sunday, shattering nan erstwhile men’s world grounds by an astonishing 65 seconds.

“What comes coming is not for maine alone,” nan 29-year-old Sawe said, “but for each of america coming successful London.”

Just 11 seconds further backmost was Ethiopia’s Yomif Kejelcha, who — moving successful his first-ever marathon — besides covered nan 26.2-mile (42.2-kilometer) people successful nether 2 hours.

Completing nan podium was Uganda’s Jacob Kiplimo, who collapsed nan erstwhile world-record clip — group by Kenya’s Kelvin Kiptum successful Chicago successful 2023 — by 7 seconds, finishing successful 2:00:28.

In an exhilarating sight, Sawe ran quicker arsenic nan marathon went on, covering nan 2nd half of nan title successful 59 minutes and 1 second. He pulled clear pinch Kejelcha aft 30 kilometers and past made his solo break successful nan last 2 kilometers, sprinting on nan decorativeness connected The Mall to large cheers.

Sabastian Sawe of Team Kenya runs up of Yomif Kejelcha of Team Ethiopia during nan London Marathon connected Sunday successful London.

(Warren Little / Getty Images)

Sawe, who retained his title successful London, said it was a “day to retrieve for me” and thanked nan immense crowds who lined nan streets of nan British superior to witnesser what mightiness beryllium regarded arsenic a feat marking nan highest of quality beingness achievement.

“I deliberation they thief a lot,” he said, “because if it was not for them you don’t consciousness for illustration you are truthful loved ... pinch them calling, you consciousness truthful happy and strong.”

Under 2 hours has been done earlier — unofficially

Breaking 2 hours successful a marathon has been a agelong clip coming — and has been done before.

However, erstwhile Eliud Kipchoge — nan Kenyan long-distance awesome — achieved nan feat successful Vienna successful 2019, it was successful a specially tailored title called nan “1.59 Challenge” that was arranged by British billionaire Jim Ratcliffe successful favorable conditions, connected a 6-mile (9.6-kilometer) circuit, and utilizing rotating pacemakers.

That meant it wasn’t classed arsenic an charismatic title setting, truthful Kipchoge’s clip of 1:59:40 didn’t spell successful nan grounds book.

In immoderate case, Sawe surpassed that clip by 10 seconds connected a mostly level people crossed London successful dry, sunny conditions.

Sabastian Sawe, of Kenya, smiles and holds up his adidas footwear pinch his world-record marathon clip written connected it Sunday successful London.

(Alex Davidson / Getty Images)

“The goalposts person virtually conscionable moved for marathon running,” Paula Radcliffe, a erstwhile victor of nan London Marathon, said during commentary of nan title for nan BBC.

At nan move of nan century, nan world’s champion clip for nan men’s marathon was 2:05:42, group by Khalid Khannouchi successful Chicago successful 1999.

Khannouchi collapsed his ain grounds by 4 seconds successful 2002 — nan past clip nan fastest men’s marathon was tally successful London — and it has been whittled down gradually complete nan past 24 years by a succession of Kenyan and Ethiopian runners, including Haile Gebrselassie, Wilson Kipsang, Kipchoge and astir precocious Kiptum.

Assefa wins fastest-ever women’s-only marathon

A grounds was besides group successful nan women’s race, pinch Ethiopia’s Tigst Assefa pulling distant pinch astir 500 meters remaining to triumph successful 2:15:41 and take sides nan title successful nan fastest-ever clip successful a women’s-only marathon.

However, it was 16 seconds slower than nan people grounds group by Radcliffe successful 2003 erstwhile it was a mixed race.

Tigst Assefa celebrates arsenic she crosses nan decorativeness statement during nan London Marathon women’s title successful a grounds clip Sunday.

(Ian Walton / Associated Press)

Kenya’s Hellen Obiri was 12 seconds backmost successful 2nd spot successful a personal-best clip connected her London debut and compatriot Joyciline Jepkosgei was third, a further 2 seconds adrift. It was nan first clip 3 women person tally nether 2 hours, 16 minutes successful a marathon.

“I screamed erstwhile I vanished because I knew I was breaking nan world record,” Assefa said.

“I felt overmuch healthier coming and person worked really difficult connected my velocity and each my training has paid off.”

Swiss double successful wheelchair races

In nan wheelchair races, location was a Swiss double pinch Marcel Hug powering to a sixth consecutive men’s title — and eighth successful full — and Catherine Debrunner beating Tatyana McFadden successful a adjacent decorativeness to take sides nan title.