LONDON (AP) — Sabastian Sawe of Kenya won the men's elite race at the 2026 London Marathon on Sunday, April 26, 2026. However, contrary to earlier unverified reports, Sawe did not break the two-hour barrier or set a new world record. The official winning time has not yet been released by race organizers, but it is confirmed that the sub-2-hour mark was not achieved.
The men's world record remains 2:00:35, set by Kelvin Kiptum of Kenya at the 2023 Chicago Marathon. Kiptum, who died in a car accident in February 2024, is the only person to have run an official marathon under 2 hours and 1 minute. The first sub-2-hour marathon was achieved by Eliud Kipchoge in 2019 in a non-official, paced event.
Sawe, 25, is a rising star in marathon running, having won the 2025 Valencia Marathon in 2:02:05. His victory in London is a significant achievement, but it does not rewrite the record books. The women's race was won by Peres Jepchirchir of Kenya, who also did not break the world record.
Race officials emphasized that no world record was set in either the men's or women's events. The London Marathon remains one of the six World Marathon Majors, and Sawe's win adds to Kenya's dominance in long-distance running.
