Overview
- Sebastian Sawe won the London Marathon on Sunday in 1:59:30, becoming the first athlete to run an official marathon in under two hours.
- Yomif Kejelcha finished second in 1:59:41 and Jacob Kiplimo took third in 2:00:28, with both times faster than Kelvin Kiptum’s 2:00:35 world record from Chicago 2023.
- Ethiopia’s Tigst Assefa retained her title in 2:15:41, setting a women’s‑only world record in a race run without male pacers.
- Coverage credited carbon‑plate “supershoes,” including the Adidas Adizero Adios Pro Evo 3 worn by Sawe and Kejelcha, plus refined nutrition, coordinated pacing, and cool conditions for the surge in times.
- The feat contrasts with Eliud Kipchoge’s 2019 1:59:40 exhibition, which was ineligible for a record due to rotating pacers, a pace car, and other non‑regulation aids, as Sawe has also highlighted strict testing around his recent races.