Sawe broke Kelvin Kiptum's world record of 2:00:35 at the London Marathon, becoming the first man to cross the two-hour barrier in a competitive event.

Historic finish in London

Sabastian Sawe of Kenya ran under two hours at the London Marathon on Sunday, becoming the first man in history to achieve the feat in a competitive race.

Sawe's run broke the previous world record of 2:00:35 set by the late Kelvin Kiptum, a mark that had stood as the outer edge of what elite marathon running was considered capable of delivering.

A barrier long chased

The two-hour marathon had occupied athletes, coaches, and sports scientists for years as the sport's defining frontier. Sawe's London finish moves that goalpost entirely, establishing a new benchmark in what competitive marathon running can produce.

Ethiopia's Tigst Assefa retained her women's crown at the same event, adding a second headline result to the day's programme.

Context in the sport

The London result arrives days after Kenya's John Korir won the Boston Marathon in 2 hours, 1 minute, 52 seconds — recorded as the fifth-fastest marathon time in history at the time — underscoring a period of rapid performance gains across the distance.