Sebastian Sawe shattered the men's marathon world record in London, becoming the first athlete to run under two hours in an official race with a time of 1:59:30. The previous men's marathon world record was 2:00:35, set by Kelvin Kiptum, according to multiple reports. This is the first time the two-hour barrier has been broken in an official marathon. Eliud Kipchoge previously ran under two hours in an unofficial race. Yomif Kejelcha finished second with a time of 1:59:41, also under the previous record. Sawe's average speed was about 21.2 km/h, and Ilta-Sanomat noted that his pace equates to running 100 meters in 17 seconds 422 times consecutively. Sawe said he was very happy and that the day is a milestone he will never forget. He credited his competitor for pushing him to the record. The Independent reports that Sawe did not rule out a course or world record before the race.
Sawe's achievement has reignited debate over shoe technology. NRK commentator Jann Post speculated that the record time will be discussed in light of the new shoes. NRK expert Vebjørn Rodal said technology in shoes and nutrition has improved significantly. Sawe wore Adizero Adios Pro Evo 2 shoes during the London Marathon, according to research sources. The Adizero Adios Pro Evo 2 has three millimeters more foam under the forefoot than the Pro Evo 1, providing 5% more energy return, lab tests show. Since its launch in 2023, the Adizero Adios Pro Evo has helped runners break five world records and win over thirty major races. The Adizero series has shattered 26 world records since 2020. Alexander Mutiso Munyao also wore Adizero Adios Pro Evo 2 and finished third in the men's London Marathon. Adizero series shoes took five of the twelve podium spots in the London and Boston marathons combined. Agnes Jebet Ngetich set a women-only 10km world record of 29:27 at the Adizero: Road to Records event, which saw 11 records broken, including two U20 world records, four continental records, and four national records. Sawe said his shoes were of record quality.
BBC commentator Steve Cram called the performance historic and compared it to Roger Bannister's four-minute mile. Jacob Kiplimo was Sawe's main rival, according to multiple reports. Kiplimo finished second in the men's London Marathon with a time of 2:03:37, a Ugandan record. Emile Cairess withdrew due to a calf issue. Alphonce Simbu finished second and Cybrian Kotut finished third in the Boston Marathon, both wearing Adidas Pro Evo 2. Eilish McColgan said the London Marathon atmosphere blew her expectations out of the water.
This is historic. It's like Roger Bannister's four-minute mile.
In the women's race, Tigist Assefa won the London Marathon with a women-only world record time of 2:15:50, according to research sources. Assefa said her training has gone better than last year and she thinks it is possible to beat her record. She wore Adizero Adios Pro Evo 1 shoes during the London Marathon. Assefa will target the women-only world record in London, multiple reports indicate.
Sawe's background includes a full recovery from a stress fracture in his foot and a back injury, his coach Claudio Berardelli said. His agent Eric Lilot said pacemakers would aim for a halfway time of 60 minutes and 30 seconds. Sawe is aiming to break the men's world marathon record in London, and he will wear the new Adidas Pro Evo 3 shoe, which weighs 96 grams, according to his agent.
Several uncertainties remain. The exact year of the race is unclear: major media report a 1:59:30 world record in 2025, while research sources report a 2:02:27 win in 2024. The shoe model worn by Sawe is disputed between Adidas Pro Evo 3 (weighing 97 grams) and Adizero Adios Pro Evo 2. It is also unclear whether Tigist Assefa won the women's race in the same edition as Sawe's record. Official reactions from athletics governing bodies regarding the sub-two-hour marathon and the role of shoe technology have not been reported. There are no known doping allegations or investigations related to this record.