The Kenyan distance runner Sabastian Sawe has set a new world record in the marathon, becoming the first to break the two-hour mark in an official race. The 31-year-old Black Catholic ran the 2026 London Marathon on Sunday in 1:59:30, shaving more than a minute off the previous record and more than two-and-a-half minutes off his previous personal best.
The historic achievement came in a notably fast race overall, which saw two other runners also best the previous world record, set in 2023 by Kenya’s Kelvin Kiptum. The second place finisher, Ethiopia’s Yomif Kejelcha, also broke two hours with a time of 1:59:41, setting a national record. Sawe’s win, his third major title of the year, is his second in a row in London.
Sawe, who made the sign of the cross after crossing the finish line in front of Buckingham Palace, said he was not planning beforehand to go for a world record, but realized during the race that he could break the two-hour barrier.
“I was ready, because the pace was so fast and I knew something good would come, and finally it comes,” he said.
Watch Sabastian Sawe 🇰🇪 run 1:59:30 to destroy the Marathon World Record in London!!🤯🔥
— Track & Field Gazette (@TrackGazette) April 26, 2026
First man ever to break 2 hours in a marathon.
2. Yomif Kejelcha 🇪🇹 1:59:41
3. Jacob Kiplimo 🇺🇬 2:00:28
All under the previous World Record.pic.twitter.com/g76PpMHkiG
The world record is only the latest accolade for Sawe, who also won the 2025 Berlin Marathon. He is one of several Kenyan superstars in the long-distance running world, and among an even greater number of high-level competitors from across East Africa.
Born in the high-altitude Rift Valley region, Sawe was raised in a remote area by his devoutly Catholic grandmother and found several mentors in athletics from an early age. A school teacher recognized his speed and his uncle, the Ugandan middle-distance runner Abraham Chepkirwok, further inspired his drive to compete and supplied him with running gear.
Sawe became a professional runner in 2017, but his local successes in Africa did not lead to international recognition. An Achilles tendon injury in 2020 further delayed his rise, but by 2022 Sawe was back, dominating half marathons across Europe—including a near world record at the 2022 Memorial Van Damme in the one-hour run.
His marathon debut came at Valencia in 2024, where he ran the fastest time ever for a newcomer, at just over two hours, two minutes. Last April, Sawe won the London Marathon in a slightly slower time of 2:02:27, later shaving eleven seconds to win the Berlin Marathon in September.
As Sawe continued to rise on the global scene, more than 140 of his countrymates were sanctioned for doping violations, including several major champions and two world record holders. In response, Sawe began voluntarily submitting to extra drug tests in the run-up to his major races, including up to 25 times in two months. The independent Athletics Integrity Unit has noted that Sawe was tested more frequently than any other athlete on the circuit.
“He was adamant that he needed to take a stance and send a strong message to other athletes and the sport in general,” Sawe’s agent Eric Lilot said of his increased AIU check-ins.
Sawe’s coach, Claudio Berardelli of Italy, also praised his dedication and spoke of him as a singular athlete even among his elite running peers.
“All the pieces come together perfectly, because of his attitude, because of his character,” the coach said.
“In 22 years I’ve been coaching in Kenya I thought I’d seen pretty much everything, but then Sabastian started to show me something which I thought was almost impossible.”
Nate Tinner-Williams is co-founder and editor of Black Catholic Messenger.
