Sebastyan Save sets a historic world record at the London Marathon

21:19 / 26.04.2026·259·Sport

In brief

Kenyan runner Sebastian Sawe set a historic world record at the London Marathon, becoming the first athlete to officially break the two-hour barrier with a time of 1:59:30. This remarkable performance shattered the previous official record held by the late Kelvin Kiptum and even surpassed Eliud Kipchoge’s unofficial sub-two-hour mark set under special conditions. The race was exceptionally fast, with all three podium finishers managing to beat the former world record time. Sawe’s achievement represents a monumental milestone in athletics, proving that the once-impossible sub-two-hour marathon is achievable in a standard competitive environment.

Photo: Alex Davidson/Getty Images

The limits of human ability have been redrawn in the world of athletics. The marathon held on the streets of London became not only a sporting celebration, but also a historic event. Kenyan marathon runner Sebastian Save accomplished the seemingly impossible, drawing the amazement of millions of fans. Zamin.uz presents the details of this remarkable result.

The two-hour barrier was broken

At the London Marathon, Kenyan runner Sebastian Save conquered the two-hour milestone long considered “unbeatable” in the world of sport. He covered the 42.195-kilometer distance in 1 hour 59 minutes 30 seconds, becoming the first athlete in marathon history to record such a result in an official competition.

Top three and a rain of records

This marathon was so intense that even all the athletes in the top three beat the previous world record:

Yomif Kejelcha (Ethiopia): silver medal with a time of 1:59.41;
Jacob Kiplimo (Uganda): bronze medal with a time of 2:00.28.

It should be recalled that the previous official record had been set by the late Kelvin Kiptum in Chicago in October 2023 (2:00.35). All of the London Marathon medalists managed to improve on Kiptum’s time.

Kipchoge's result was surpassed

Sebastian Save not only improved the official record, but also the unofficial result of the legendary Eliud Kipchoge. Six years ago in Vienna, under special conditions, with many pacers and technical support, Kipchoge had posted a time of 1:59.41. But Save improved on that mark in an official race, under real competition, and wrote his name into history in golden letters.