2026 London Marathon Results: Sawe Runs 1:59:30 — First Ever Official Sub-2-Hour Marathon
Sport has just written one of its greatest pages. On Sunday, 26 April 2026, on the course of the TCS London Marathon, Kenya’s Sabastian Sawe made history by crossing the finish line in 1:59:30 — becoming the first human being to run an official marathon in under two hours. Behind him, Ethiopia’s Yomif Kejelcha (1:59:41) also broke the mythical barrier, and Uganda’s Jacob Kiplimo (2:00:28) finished under the previous world record. All three are faster than Kelvin Kiptum’s record of 2:00:35 (Chicago, 2023). In the women’s race, Tigst Assefa shattered her own women’s-only world record with a time of 2:15:41 — in a three-way sprint finish for the ages. An edition that now belongs to the history of world sport.
⚠️ World records are subject to World Athletics ratification procedures.
Table of Contents
- Men’s Results — Sawe and the 2-Hour Barrier ⭐
- Women’s Results — Assefa, New Women’s-Only World Record ⭐
- Wheelchair — Hug and Debrunner Defend Their Titles
- Full Race Results
- Commemorate Your 2026 London Marathon with The Post Trace
- London Marathon All-Time Champions
- FAQ — 2026 TCS London Marathon
Men’s Results — Sawe and the 2-Hour Barrier ⭐⭐⭐
For decades, running an official marathon in under two hours seemed to belong to the realm of dreams. Eliud Kipchoge had achieved it in 1:59:40 in Vienna in 2019, but under non-ratifiable conditions (the INEOS 1:59 Challenge) — no competition, with relay pacers synchronised to the centimetre. Kelvin Kiptum had come closest in a race environment with his 2:00:35 in Chicago in 2023 — before his tragic death in a car accident in February 2024. On Sunday, 26 April 2026, Sabastian Sawe accomplished what no athlete had ever done under real race conditions.
The race played out as a group of six through the half marathon, reached in 1:00:29 — fractionally below the pace needed to break the world record (2:00:35). At 30km, just five seconds covered the six men. It was after the 35km mark that projections began suggesting the unthinkable: not just a world record, but a sub-two-hour finish. Sawe and Kejelcha accelerated together, pulling each other toward the impossible until the final kilometre, before Sawe surged alone to cross the line in 1:59:30. Eleven seconds later, Kejelcha also broke the magical mark in 1:59:41. Kiplimo, who dropped slightly in the closing kilometres, finished in 2:00:28 — also under the previous world record. Three men under the former world record in a single race: a moment sport may never see again.
| Place | Last Name | First Name | Nationality | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 🥇 | SAWE | Sabastian | 🇰🇪 Kenya | 1:59:30 ⭐ WORLD RECORD |
| 2 🥈 | KEJELCHA | Yomif | 🇪🇹 Ethiopia | 1:59:41 ⭐ sub-2h |
| 3 🥉 | KIPLIMO | Jacob | 🇺🇬 Uganda | 2:00:28 ⭐ under old WR |
| 4 | KIPRUTO | Amos | 🇰🇪 Kenya | 2:01:39 |
| 5 | TOLA | Tamirat | 🇪🇹 Ethiopia | 2:02:59 |
| 6 | GELETA | Deresa | 🇪🇹 Ethiopia | 2:03:23 |
| 7 | GOBENA | Addisu | 🇪🇹 Ethiopia | 2:05:23 |
| 8 | KAMWOROR | Geoffrey | 🇰🇪 Kenya | 2:05:38 |
| 9 | LYNCH | Peter | 🇮🇪 Ireland | 2:06:08 |
| 10 | MAHAMED | Mahamed | 🇬🇧 Great Britain | 2:06:14 |
⭐ New world record: Sabastian Sawe 🇰🇪, 1:59:30, 2026 — first official sub-2-hour marathon in history. Previous record: Kelvin Kiptum 🇰🇪, 2:00:35, Chicago 2023. Sawe improves the record by 1 minute and 5 seconds. Pending World Athletics ratification.
👉 Full men’s results on the official TCS London Marathon website
Women’s Results — Assefa, New Women’s-Only World Record ⭐
Tigst Assefa arrived in London with one goal: to beat the women’s-only world record she had set here in 2025 (2:15:50). She did it, in the most dramatic fashion imaginable. At the half, the Assefa-Jepkosgei-Obiri trio passed through in 1:06:12 — under women’s-only world record pace. The three women maintained that level of performance almost all the way to the line. It was in the final 400 metres that Assefa accelerated to leave her two rivals behind. She crossed the finish in 2:15:41 — nine seconds faster than her own 2025 record. Hellen Obiri followed 12 seconds later (2:15:53), Joyciline Jepkosgei 14 seconds back (2:15:55). Just 14 seconds between the top three — one of the closest and fastest women’s marathon finishes in history.
| Place | Last Name | First Name | Nationality | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 🥇 | ASSEFA | Tigst | 🇪🇹 Ethiopia | 2:15:41 ⭐ Women’s-only WR |
| 2 🥈 | OBIRI | Hellen | 🇰🇪 Kenya | 2:15:53 |
| 3 🥉 | JEPKOSGEI | Joyciline | 🇰🇪 Kenya | 2:15:55 |
| 4 | AZIMERAW | Degitu | 🇪🇹 Ethiopia | 2:19:53 |
| 5 | AMANANG’OLE | Catherine | 🇰🇪 Kenya | 2:21:20 |
| 6 | CHUMBA | Eunice | 🇧🇭 Bahrain | 2:23:44 |
| 7 | McCOLGAN | Eilish | 🇬🇧 Great Britain | 2:24:51 |
| 8 | PATERNAIN | Julia | 🇺🇾 Uruguay | 2:25:47 |
| 9 | HARVEY | Rose | 🇬🇧 Great Britain | 2:26:14 |
| 10 | GALIMANY | Marta | 🇪🇸 Spain | 2:27:38 |
⭐ New women’s-only world record: Tigst Assefa 🇪🇹, 2:15:41, 2026 — improving her own 2025 record (2:15:50) by 9 seconds. Just 14 seconds separated the top three women — a race for the ages.
👉 Full women’s results on the official TCS London Marathon website
Wheelchair — Hug and Debrunner Defend Their Titles
Switzerland’s Marcel Hug claimed a record-equalling eighth London Marathon title in 1:24:13, matching the all-time mark held by British Paralympic legend David Weir — who finished third in this very race in 1:29:23. In the women’s event, Catherine Debrunner won her fourth London title (third in a row) in 1:38:29, just five seconds ahead of Tatyana McFadden (1:38:34).
| Men 🏆 | Name | Nat. | Time | Women 🏆 | Name | Nat. | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Marcel Hug | 🇨🇭 | 1:24:13 | 1 | Catherine Debrunner | 🇨🇭 | 1:38:29 |
| 2 | Luo Xingchuan | 🇨🇳 | 1:28:46 | 2 | Tatyana McFadden | 🇺🇸 | 1:38:34 |
| 3 | David Weir | 🇬🇧 | 1:29:23 | 3 | Manuela Schär | 🇨🇭 | 1:41:21 |
Full Race Results — 2026 TCS London Marathon
The complete standings for all 59,000 finishers of the 2026 TCS London Marathon are available on the official timing platform, searchable by name, bib number and age group.
👉 OFFICIAL COMPLETE RESULTS — 2026 TCS London Marathon
Commemorate Your 2026 London Marathon with The Post Trace
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TCS London Marathon All-Time Champions
Founded in 1981, the London Marathon is one of the six World Marathon Majors and a cornerstone of the global racing calendar. The 2026 edition enters the history of sport itself with the first official sub-2-hour men’s marathon — a barrier the world had been chasing for decades.
Men’s Champions (2019–2026)
| Year | Winner | Nationality | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Sabastian Sawe 🏆 ⭐ WR | 🇰🇪 Kenya | 1:59:30 |
| 2025 | Sabastian Sawe | 🇰🇪 Kenya | 2:02:27 |
| 2024 | Alexander Mutiso Munyao | 🇰🇪 Kenya | 2:04:00 |
| 2023 | Kelvin Kiptum | 🇰🇪 Kenya | 2:01:25 |
| 2022 | Amos Kipruto | 🇰🇪 Kenya | 2:04:39 |
| 2021 | Eliud Kipchoge | 🇰🇪 Kenya | 2:04:30 |
| 2020 | Cancelled — COVID-19 | ||
| 2019 | Eliud Kipchoge | 🇰🇪 Kenya | 2:02:37 |
Women’s Champions (2019–2026)
| Year | Winner | Nationality | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Tigst Assefa 🏆 ⭐ WR women-only | 🇪🇹 Ethiopia | 2:15:41 |
| 2025 | Tigst Assefa | 🇪🇹 Ethiopia | 2:15:50 |
| 2024 | Peres Jepchirchir | 🇰🇪 Kenya | 2:16:16 |
| 2023 | Sifan Hassan | 🇳🇱 Netherlands | 2:18:33 |
| 2022 | Brigid Kosgei | 🇰🇪 Kenya | 2:18:43 |
| 2021 | Joyciline Jepkosgei | 🇰🇪 Kenya | 2:17:43 |
| 2020 | Cancelled — COVID-19 | ||
| 2019 | Brigid Kosgei | 🇰🇪 Kenya | 2:18:20 |
FAQ — 2026 TCS London Marathon
Did Sabastian Sawe really run under 2 hours?
Yes — officially and under real race conditions. Sabastian Sawe crossed the finish line in 1:59:30, becoming the first man to run a marathon in under two hours in an official race with a bib number and genuine competitors. Eliud Kipchoge achieved 1:59:40 in Vienna in 2019, but under non-ratifiable conditions (the INEOS 1:59 Challenge, with relay pacers and no race environment). Sawe’s record is subject to World Athletics ratification procedures.
What is the new men’s marathon world record?
1:59:30, set by Sabastian Sawe 🇰🇪 at the TCS London Marathon on 26 April 2026. He improves Kelvin Kiptum’s record (2:00:35, Chicago, October 2023) by 1 minute and 5 seconds.
Who won the 2026 London Marathon women’s race?
Ethiopian Tigst Assefa in 2:15:41 — a new women’s-only world record (no male pacemakers), improving her own mark from London 2025 (2:15:50) by 9 seconds. Hellen Obiri 🇰🇪 (2nd, 2:15:53) and Joyciline Jepkosgei 🇰🇪 (3rd, 2:15:55) — just 14 seconds separating the top three.
How many runners participated in the 2026 London Marathon?
59,000 runners took the start of the 2026 TCS London Marathon, from Greenwich to The Mall via Tower Bridge and Canary Wharf.
What is the difference between Sawe’s record and Eliud Kipchoge’s 2019 run?
Eliud Kipchoge’s 1:59:40 in Vienna in 2019 was achieved under non-official conditions — the INEOS 1:59 Challenge, without rivals, with relay pacers rotating every 5 minutes and laser-guided precision. Sawe ran 1:59:30 in a competitive race with a bib number, genuine opponents, and times fully eligible for World Athletics ratification. This is the first time the barrier has been broken in an actual marathon race.
Where can I find my personal results from the 2026 London Marathon?
The full standings are available at results.tcslondonmarathon.com/2026. Search by name or bib number.
