History has been made at the 2026 TCS London Marathon with Sabastian Sawe running the first-ever sub two-hour race.
The Kenyan defended his elite men’s race title as he crossed the finish line in 1hr 59mins 30secs.
The mass event is now in the latter stages after around 59,000 people set out tackle the 26.2-mile course in mild conditions.
Temperatures reached 18C at midday, with participants taking advised to stay hydrated ahead of the marathon and wear lightweight clothing.
The mass event set off at Greenwich Park from 9.30am , with marathon organisers hopeful it will be the biggest ever.
Last year, the event broke the Guinness World Record for the most finishers in a marathon, with 56,640 participants making it to the end.
A host of celebrities are taking part, including Wicked star Cynthia Erivo, former England footballer Tony Adams - and even children’s TV’s Daddy Pig, from hit show Peppa Pig, who is running alongside “The Body Coach” Joe Wicks.
Follow the latest updates below...
Cynthia sails past the finish line
Cynthia Erivo crossed the finish line at the London Marathon with a time of three hours and 21 minutes, beating her previous time of three hours and 35 minutes in 2022.
Men's winner Sabastian Sawe of Team Kenya and Women's winner Tigst Assefa of Team Ethiopia celebrate their victories by posing with the famous Chris Brasher Sporting Life Trophy.
'I saw the time, and I was so excited,' says Sawe
Sabastian Sawe smashed the marathon world record and became the first man to break the two-hour barrier in an official competition to win the London Marathon in one hour, 59 minutes and 30 seconds.
The Kenyan defended his 2025 title, beating Yomif Kejelcha by 11 seconds.
The Ethiopian runner-up also crossed the line in an astonishing one hour, 59 minutes and 41 seconds, while Jacob Kiplimo of Uganda finished third in two hours, 28 seconds.
Sawe told BBC One: “I am feeling good.
I am so happy.
It is a day to remember for me.
“We started the race well.
Approaching finishing the race, I was feeling strong.
“Finally reaching the finish line, I saw the time, and I was so excited.
Coming to London for the second time was so important to me and that’s why I prepared well for it.
“What I had done for four months, it has come today to be a good result.”
Jubilation for Kenya after Sabastian Sawe's world record marathon win
Kenyan marathon supporters celebrated in the street after Sabastian Sawe, 30, won the men’s race and smashed the world record with a marathon time under two hours.
Who is marathon history man Sabastian Sawe?
Sabastian Sawe Sawe, 30, was born in Kenya’s Rift Valley and brought up by his grandmother.
He began running at an early age but announced himself on the world stage at the 2023 World Cross Country Championships, finishing seventh in the men’s 10km race behind the likes of Jacob Kiplimo and Joshua Cheptegei.
He entered his first marathon the following year, trouncing the field to record the fifth-fastest marathon ever at 02:02:05, some 35 seconds clear of the second-place finisher.
Victory in Valencia was followed up with further triumphs in London and Berlin in 2025, and he successfully defended his title in London with Sunday’s historic run.
Tigst Assefa retains women's title
Ethiopian runner Tigst Assefa, 29, has won the women’s race of the London Marathon for a second consecutive year, notching up an impressive finish time of two hours and 15 minutes - beating her previous time by just nine seconds.
Sabastian Sawe makes history winning men's race in under two hours
Kenyan long-distance runner Sabastian Sawe, 30, has made history as the first person to complete a marathon in under two hours.
Sawe won today’s men’s race of the London Marathon with a remarkable running time of one hour and 59 minutes.
History man!
Sabastian Sawe runs first-ever sub two-hour marathon
Sabastian Sawe has won the London Marathon in a world record time, becoming the first person in history to officially record a sub-two-hour race.
The Kenyan won this race 12 months ago and successfully defended his title but more importantly he crossed the finish line in a time of one hour 59 minutes and 30 seconds.
His incredible run wiped 65 seconds off the previous record held by the late Kelvin Kiptum, who did so at the 2023 Chicago Marathon.
Sawe’s time is 10 seconds quicker than Eliud Kipchoge’s record in 2019 – which was not recognised as official because it was not in open competition and he was assisted by pacemakers.
London Marathon is in full flow
The 46th TCS London Marathon is in full swing after tens of thousands of runners set off on the 26.2-mile course around the capital.
Supporters have lined the route to cheer on the runners, with many carrying placards.
Among those tackling the course are Wicked star Cynthia Erivo, former England manager Tony Adams, and former cricketer Sir Alastair Cook.
Daddy Pig, from the children’s TV show Peppa Pig, will race flanked by “The Body Coach” Joe Wicks.
In a specially-designed costume, Daddy Pig will run for the National Deaf Children’s Society after a Peppa Pig storyline revealed George Pig is moderately deaf.
Last year, the event broke the Guinness World Record (GWR) for the most finishers in a marathon, with 56,640 participants making it to the end – a record organisers hope to beat in 2026.
Daddy Pig in the running...
or is it Harry Styles?
Daddy Pig is running in today’s London Marathon after taking the day off from looking after Peppa and George.
But rumours have been swirling all week that a certain celebrity may be behind the porky disguise...
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Source: This article was originally published by Evening Standard
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