Story perspectives

Sebastian Sawe Breaks Two-Hour Barrier, Wins London Marathon

4/30/2026

Summary

Sawe Breaks Two-Hour

Sebastian Sawe of Kenya completed the London Marathon in 01:59:30, the first sub-two-hour marathon in competition.
His time beat Kelvin Kiptum’s 2023 record of 2:00:35 by more than a minute, with a 1:00:29 halfway split and a 59:01 second half.
After landing at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, officials and his parents, who drove six hours, greeted Sawe.

Summary

Adidas Enables Two-Hour

Adidas unveiled the 97-gram Adizero Adios Pro Evo 3 with a 39 mm heel stack and Lightstrike Pro Evo foam before the London Marathon.
Adidas seeded the shoe on Sawe, Kejelcha and Assefa, turning the race into a live product billboard and prompting a limited-edition, high-priced drop.
By breaking the two-hour barrier in an open marathon, Adidas claimed cultural legitimacy distinct from Nike and framed the shoe as an enabler to pre-empt mechanical-doping criticism.

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Sawe Breaks Two-Hour

Sebastian Sawe of Kenya completed the London Marathon in 01:59:30, the first sub-two-hour marathon in competition.
His time beat Kelvin Kiptum’s 2023 record of 2:00:35 by more than a minute, with a 1:00:29 halfway split and a 59:01 second half.
After landing at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, officials and his parents, who drove six hours, greeted Sawe.

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