Sawe, Kejelcha break 2hr marathon barrier

Kenya's Sabastian Sawe shattered one of athletics' most elusive barriers on April 26, becoming the first man to run a marathon in under two hours as he stormed to victory at the London Marathon in 1hr 59min 30sec.

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After years of global obsession, lab-backed experiments and near misses, the marathon's ultimate barrier finally fell as Sawe obliterated the world record previously held by the late Kelvin Kiptum, who set a time of 2:00:35 at the Chicago Marathon in October 2023.

Yomif Kejelcha of Ethiopia stayed on Sawe's heels over much of the 42.195km course before fading down the final stretch to take second in his marathon debut with 1:59:41, while Jacob Kiplimo of Uganda took the bronze in 2:00:28, making for the most remarkable men's marathon finish in history.

"I am feeling good. I am happy. It's a day to remember for me," Sawe, 31, told the BBC, holding up his shoe with "world record" and "sub-2" written on it in black marker pen.