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Sawe Shatters Marathon Record, Runs Sub-2 Hours in London

4/26/2026

50 8 Full Breakdown

Summary

Story summary

Sabastian Sawe set a new men’s marathon world record of 1:59:30 at the 2026 London Marathon, beating the previous mark by 65 seconds.
Ethiopia’s Yomif Kejelcha finished second in 1:59:41, also running under two hours.
The race, arranged by British billionaire Jim Ratcliffe on a flat 6-mile circuit with rotating pacemakers, gave Sawe the extra push he credited to the large London crowds.

History

Historical Context

After Eliud Kipchoge broke the two-hour barrier in Vienna on 12 October 2019 with a paced INEOS 1:59 Challenge, elite runners adopted the same rotating-pacemaker model. On 26 April 2026 Sabastian Sawe replicated that approach in London, completing the marathon in 1:59:30. The repeat demonstrates how controlled pacing has turned sub-two-hour marathons from experiment to emerging standard.

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Story summary

Sabastian Sawe set a new men’s marathon world record of 1:59:30 at the 2026 London Marathon, beating the previous mark by 65 seconds.
Ethiopia’s Yomif Kejelcha finished second in 1:59:41, also running under two hours.
The race, arranged by British billionaire Jim Ratcliffe on a flat 6-mile circuit with rotating pacemakers, gave Sawe the extra push he credited to the large London crowds.

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