Kenya’s Sabastian Sawe made history by becoming the first man to finish a marathon in under two hours, winning the London Marathon with a stunning time of 1:59:30. This remarkable achievement puts him in the spotlight as he surpasses the previous record of 2:00:35, set by the late Kelvin Kiptum in 2023.
Sawe, 31, has never lost a marathon. He crushed Kiptum’s record by a whopping 65 seconds. Yomif Kejelcha from Ethiopia placed second in his marathon debut with 1:59:41, while Uganda’s Jacob Kiplimo secured bronze at 2:02:28. All three runners finished in under Kiptum’s previous record time, showing just how extraordinary this race was.
Reflecting on his performance, Sawe expressed joy and relief, saying, “Finally, reaching the finishing line, I saw the time, and I was so excited.” His preparation was key, as he mentioned the importance of returning to London.
Kiptum’s untimely death in 2024 at just 24 years old has cast a shadow over the marathon community, making Sawe’s achievement even more poignant.
In the women’s race, Ethiopia’s Tigst Assefa successfully defended her title, clocking in at 2:15:41. She broke her own record from the previous year by nine seconds. Assefa was in a close contest with Kenyan runners Hellen Obiri and Joyciline Jepkosgei, but she managed to pull away in the final stages. Obiri finished with a personal best of 2:15:53, just two-hundredths of a second ahead of Jepkosgei.
Notably, Ruth Chepngetich of Kenya set the women’s world record in a mixed race at the Chicago Marathon in 2024 with a time of 2:09:56. However, she is currently serving a three-year ban related to doping violations.
In wheelchair events, Switzerland’s Marcel Hug and Catherine Debrunner emerged victorious. Hug claimed his sixth consecutive win, while Debrunner outpaced American Tatyana McFadden for her third straight London title.
Overall, this year’s London Marathon showcased some of the finest talent in athletics, capturing the excitement of both the runners and spectators alike.
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Sport, Athletics, Europe, United Kingdom
