London Marathon: Sawe breaks record in defense of title

By: David Akande

Sabastian Sawe not only won the London Marathon on Sunday, he defended his title by breaking records. The Kenyan came home in 1:59:30, becoming the first athlete to run a sub-two-hour marathon in a competitive race and setting a new benchmark for the sport.
The finish line became a historic sprint between debutants and elite champions.

Ethiopian Yomif Kejelcha, running his first marathon, pushed Sawe into the final stages, but still went under two hours in 1:59:41. Uganda’s Jacob Kiplimo also stayed within the old mark, finishing third in 2:00:28 as the race reshaped the face of the elite marathon.

Sawe’s performance improved on the previous official world record of 2:00:35 set by Kelvin Kiptum in Chicago in 2023, underscoring the extent to which limits have been pushed in a single race. The margin of victory and depth of field made it one of the most significant marathon performances in recent history.

Unlike Eliud Kipchoge’s famous 1:59:40 in 2019, which was not record-eligible due to controlled conditions, Sawe’s run came in a fully competitive race. He arrived as defending champion and left with a historic mark, confirming his place at the top of the distance running world.