London: Sabastian Sawe declared himself living proof that 'nothing is impossible' after becoming the first athlete to officially break the two-hour barrier in a marathon, clocking a world record time of 1 hour, 59 minutes, and 30 seconds in the London Marathon.
According to Ghana News Agency, the Kenyan runner successfully defended his 2025 title, besting debutant Yomif Kejelcha by 11 seconds. The Ethiopian runner-up also finished in an astounding 1:59:41, while Uganda's Jacob Kiplimo secured third place with a time of 2:00:28. All three runners surpassed the previous official world record of 2:00:35, set by the late Kelvin Kiptum in 2023. Sawe's time was also 10 seconds quicker than Eliud Kipchoge's unofficial 1:59:40 set during a 2019 exhibition.
Sawe expressed his triumph, stating, "I think I've made history today in London, and for the new generation, it shows that running a record is possible. It depends on the preparation and discipline you have, so I've shown that nothing is impossible."
Hugh Brasher, CEO of London Marathon Events, commented on the historic achievement, stating, "It is, without doubt, the greatest day in London Marathon history. People compared Sir Roger Bannister's mile as the greatest sporting moment of the 20th century. Is this the greatest sporting moment of the 21st century? I don't know, but it was just brilliant."
Eliud Kipchoge also congratulated Sawe and Kejelcha, marking the day as a 'historical day for marathon running' in an Instagram post. He noted, "Breaking the sub-two barrier in the marathon has long been a dream for runners everywhere, and today, you've made that dream come true."
Both Sawe and Kejelcha wore Adidas Pro Evo 3s, footwear Sawe had predicted could break records. Sawe, committed to maintaining clean sport, volunteered for a rigorous drug-testing regime with Adidas and the Athletics Integrity Unit, undergoing 25 unannounced tests before winning the Berlin Marathon.
Kejelcha, now the fastest debutant in marathon history, praised Sawe's dedication to clean sport, saying, "It's very important for clean sport. Maybe I, for the future, will do the same thing. I think it's a great idea."
The women's race also saw a new standard set by Tigst Assefa, who defended her title with a women's-only world record time of 2:15:41. Assefa outpaced Kenya's Hellen Obiri and Joyciline Jepkosgei, who finished with times of 2:15:53 and 2:15:55, respectively. Assefa expressed her joy at Sawe's record-breaking performance and congratulated him on his achievement.
The marathon featured tens of thousands of runners, including celebrities like former Formula One world champion Sebastian Vettel, who completed his marathon debut in 2:59:08. Additionally, Marcel Hug and Catherine Debrunner secured victories in the wheelchair races, with times of 1:23:13 and 1:38:29, respectively.