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World Athletics officially ratified Sabastian Sawe’s 1:59:30 run from the 2026 London Marathon, confirming it as a world record Sawe became the first man in history to complete a legal, competitive marathon in under two hours on April 26 Tigst Assefa, who ran 2:15:41 at the same marathon to break the women’s marathon (women only) record, has also been ratified Search option is now available at TUKO! Feel free to search the content on topics/people you enjoy reading about in the top right corner 😉
World Athletics has formally ratified Sabastian Sawe’s 1:59:30 clocking at the 2026 London Marathon as an official world record, confirming the Kenyan runner as the first man in history to complete a competitive marathon in under two hours. Sabastian Sawe reacts after breaking the men’s marathon world record at the 2026 London Marathon. Photo by John Walton.
Source: Getty Images How Sabastian Sawe set the record Sawe crossed the finish line on 26 April in a time that sliced more than one minute off the previous world record of 2:00:35, set by the late Kelvin Kiptum. The London Marathon served as the certified stage for the breakthrough, with the ratification process concluding after Sawe cleared all mandatory requirements set by the sport’s global governing body. How World Athletics Ratifies World Records World Athletics applies a strict multi-stage verification process before any world record is confirmed. Sawe was required to submit to an immediate post-race anti-doping test, with laboratory results returning negative. Beyond the doping controls, the event itself had to be an officially sanctioned competition conducted under valid World Athletics Technical Rules and overseen by certified officials. For road races such as marathons, a course measurement certificate valid for no more than five years is also compulsory. The London Marathon course met all these criteria, clearing the path for ratification.
Other Records Ratified Alongside Sawe’s World Athletics confirmed several additional world records in the same ratification round. Swedish pole vault star Mondo Duplantis extended his own record to 6.31 metres in the men’s event.
Ethiopian distance runner Tigst Assefa’s women’s-only marathon time of 2:15:41, also set at the London Marathon, was ratified as the women’s world record. In the field events, China’s Yan Ziyi had her under-20 women’s javelin throw of 71.74 metres confirmed as a world junior record. How much Sabastian Sawe earned This historic moment, clocked at 1:59:30, not only broke the previous record but also positioned Sawe to earn millions in prizes and bonuses for his extraordinary performance. As the world celebrated this groundbreaking feat, Sawe’s triumph came with an inspiring narrative. Source: TUKO.co.ke