Marathon history turns a new page with a sub2 milestone.

For the first time, the sub-2 milestone, completing the 42.195 km distance in under 2 hours, was achieved in an official race.

Sawe conquered the under-2-hour marathon distance at the prestigious London race.

At the London Marathon 2026 on April 26th, Kenyan runner Sabastian Sawe finished with a time of 1 hour 59 minutes and 30 seconds, winning the championship and setting a new world record. This marks the first time in history that an athlete has broken the sub-2 mark in official competition conditions and received official recognition.

This year's London Marathon witnessed a rare display of top-level competition. Second place went to Yomif Kejelcha, who also achieved a time under two hours (1 hour 59 minutes 40 seconds). Third place went to Jacob Kiplimo, who finished in 2 hours 00 minutes 28 seconds. Notably, all three times surpassed the previous world record of 2 hours 00 minutes 35 seconds, set by Kelvin Kiptum at the 2023 Chicago Marathon.

However, according to regulations, only the champion's achievement is recognized as a world record. This means Sawe officially became the holder of the historic milestone with a time of 1 hour, 59 minutes, and 30 seconds.

The world once witnessed an iconic sub-2 milestone when legend Eliud Kipchoge completed 42.195 km in 1 hour 59 minutes and 40 seconds at the Ineos 1:59 event in Vienna in 2019. However, this achievement was not officially recognized due to special race conditions, including a rotating pacer system and the lack of direct competition.

Unlike Kipchoge, Sawe's victory in London took place within the framework of a standard competition, with all the elements of competition and strict regulations. This makes the sub-2 milestone a turning point in modern marathon running, as the seemingly insurmountable limit has been officially broken.

Source: https://znews.vn/lich-su-marathon-sang-trang-voi-cot-moc-sub2-post1646728.html