Race news Published 1 November 2026 3-minute read ≈ 0.5 km jog

2026, the year the marathon went under two hours

For decades, a sub-two-hour marathon was a fantasy. On 26 April 2026, in London, it became a race result. A look back at a season when the clocks kept falling.

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In short In London, Sabastian Sawe ran the first official sub-two-hour marathon (1:59:30, pending ratification), Tigst Assefa set a women-only world record, and Paris, Berlin and Lille all had course records.

London, 26 April: the two-hour barrier falls

On Sunday 26 April 2026, at the London Marathon, Kenya's Sabastian Sawe crossed the line in 1:59:30. A world record, pending ratification by World Athletics when it was reported.

The previous record was Kelvin Kiptum's 2:00:35, set in Chicago in 2023. Eliud Kipchoge had run 1:59:40 in Vienna in 2019, but in a purpose-built attempt that was never ratified as a record. This time it was a real race, with real rivals: Ethiopia's Yomif Kejelcha finished second in 1:59:41, also under two hours, and Uganda's Jacob Kiplimo third in 2:00:28.

According to the published splits, Sawe went through halfway in 1:00:29 and ran the second half in 59:01. A negative split, exactly what every coach recommends, on another scale entirely.

Tigst Assefa, queen of the women's races

The same day in London, Ethiopia's Tigst Assefa won the women's race in 2:15:41, improving her own world record for a women-only race, run without male pacemakers.

Five months later, on 27 September, she won Berlin in 2:11:04, a personal best and course record, narrowly missing the overall world record, which still belongs to Kenya's Ruth Chepngetich (2:09:56, Chicago 2024). Ethiopia's Guye Adola won the men's race in Berlin in 2:02:50, five years after his first win there.

Paris, Chicago and Lille

  • Paris, 12 April: Italy's Yemaneberhan Crippa won in 2:05:18, and Ethiopia's Shure Demise set a women's course record in 2:18:34. The press reported 57,464 starters, a record for the race.
  • Chicago, 11 October: Kenya's Amos Kipruto finally won Chicago, in 2:01:09, the second-fastest time ever run there and among the five fastest in marathon history. Ethiopia's Hawi Feysa retained her title in 2:13:33.
  • Lille, 25 October: the marathon returned to Lille after 31 years. Burundi's Célestin Ndikumana (2:07:51) and Ethiopia's Afera Berha (2:22:30) smashed course records dating back to the 1980s.

And for the rest of us?

Nobody expects you to run 2:50 per kilometre for two hours. But these races hold lessons for every runner: the second half matters more than the first, conditions change everything (London had ideal weather, Lille had wind), and big-city marathons have never been more popular, with around 59,000 participants claimed in London.

What record will you break in 2027? If it is your own marathon best, Leg Up can help your calf cover some of the costs.

Sources

Results as reported by the sports press after each race. Official results and World Athletics ratifications prevail.

The Leg Up team Sunday runners (and Thursday-night ones) who decided their calves deserved a salary. We write Le Ravito between two long runs.

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