Sabastian Sawe Establishes First Official Sub-Two-Hour Marathon Record in London

Apr 26, 2026, 21:49
AfricaSports

Introduction

Kenyan athlete Sabastian Sawe has become the first individual to complete an official marathon in under two hours, recording a time of 1:59:30 at the London Marathon on Sunday. This performance establishes a new world record and marks a significant milestone in long-distance running.

Main Body

The event concluded with Sawe securing victory, followed by Ethiopia's Yomif Kejelcha, who finished in 1:59:41 in his marathon debut, and Uganda's Jacob Kiplimo, who placed third with a time of 2:00:28. All three athletes surpassed the previous official world record of 2:00:35, set by the late Kelvin Kiptum in 2023. Sawe's time also exceeds the 1:59:40 unofficial mark achieved by Eliud Kipchoge in a 2019 non-competitive event. Sawe's performance was characterized by a negative split, completing the first half of the course in approximately 60:30 and the second half in 59:01. Technical advancements and specific preparation contributed to these results. Sawe and Kejelcha utilized the Adidas Adios Pro Evo 3, a racing shoe weighing 97 grams. The manufacturer reports that this model provides an 11% increase in forefoot energy return and a 1.6% improvement in running economy over previous iterations. Additionally, Sawe's training regimen, overseen by coach Claudio Berardelli, involved peak weekly volumes of 241 kilometers. Sawe also attributed his performance to a pre-race diet consisting of bread, honey, and tea. Concurrent achievements occurred in other categories. Ethiopia's Tigst Assefa defended her title, setting a women's-only world record of 2:15:41, though this remains slower than the mixed-gender course record of 2:09:56. In the wheelchair divisions, Switzerland's Marcel Hug secured his eighth total victory in the men's race, while Catherine Debrunner retained the women's title. The event saw a record number of starters, exceeding 60,000 participants. Regarding athletic integrity, the report notes the historical context of high doping rates within Kenyan athletics. To address potential scrutiny, Sawe and his sponsors previously engaged the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) to implement a rigorous testing protocol. This included 25 unannounced tests and isotope ratio mass spectrometry analysis prior to the Berlin Marathon. While Sawe has not been implicated in doping violations, his coach, Claudio Berardelli, faced charges in 2016 following a violation by another athlete; however, no conviction resulted from those proceedings.

Conclusion

Sabastian Sawe has redefined the benchmark for elite marathon performance by officially breaking the two-hour barrier. The result, supported by advanced footwear and rigorous training, stands as the current world record pending final ratification.

Vocabulary Learning

benchmark (n.)
a standard or point of reference基準
Example:Sawe redefined the benchmark for elite marathon performance.
doping (n.)
the use of prohibited substances to enhance athletic performance禁藥使用
Example:The AIU conducted doping tests to ensure fairness.
negative split (n.)
a strategy where the second half of a race is run faster than the first half逆分割
Example:Sawe's negative split helped him finish in record time.
ratification (n.)
formal approval or confirmation批准
Example:The record awaits final ratification.
rigorous (adj.)
extremely strict or thorough嚴格
Example:The AIU implemented a rigorous testing protocol.

Sentence Learning

All three athletes surpassed the previous official world record of 2:00:35, set by the late Kelvin Kiptum in 2023.
Reduced Relative Clause: The participial phrase 'set by the late Kelvin Kiptum in 2023' modifies 'previous official world record', functioning as a reduced relative clause that provides information about when and by whom the record was set簡化關係子句: 這個分詞短語 'set by the late Kelvin Kiptum in 2023' 修飾 'previous official world record'，作為簡化關係子句提供了紀錄被設定的時間與人。
Sawe's performance was characterized by a negative split, completing the first half of the course in approximately 60:30 and the second half in 59:01.
Participial Clause (Adverbial): The clause 'completing the first half of the course in approximately 60:30 and the second half in 59:01' acts as an adverbial participial phrase modifying the main verb phrase, indicating how Sawe's negative split was executed分詞短語（副詞性）: 這個分詞短語 'completing the first half of the course in approximately 60:30 and the second half in 59:01' 作為副詞性分詞短語，修飾主句，說明 Sawe 如何完成負分。
To address potential scrutiny, Sawe and his sponsors previously engaged the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) to implement a rigorous testing protocol.
Infinitival Clause (Purpose): The infinitive 'to implement a rigorous testing protocol' expresses purpose, explaining why Sawe and his sponsors engaged the AIU不定詞目的子句: 不定詞 'to implement a rigorous testing protocol' 表達目的，說明 Sawe 及其贊助商為何與 AIU 合作。
While Sawe has not been implicated in doping violations, his coach, Claudio Berardelli, faced charges in 2016 following a violation by another athlete; however, no conviction resulted from those proceedings.
Complex Sentence with Subordinate Clause and Semi-colon: This sentence combines a subordinate clause introduced by 'while' with two independent clauses separated by a semicolon, illustrating contrast and additional information含從屬子句與分號的複合句: 句子結合了 'while' 引導的從屬子句與兩個獨立子句，並以分號分隔，展示對比與附加信息。
The event concluded with Sawe securing victory, followed by Ethiopia's Yomif Kejelcha, who finished in 1:59:41 in his marathon debut, and Uganda's Jacob Kiplimo, who placed third with a time of 2:00:28.
Relative Clause: The relative clauses 'who finished in 1:59:41 in his marathon debut' and 'who placed third with a time of 2:00:28' provide descriptive information about Kejelcha and Kiplimo, respectively關係子句: 這兩個關係子句 'who finished in 1:59:41 in his marathon debut' 與 'who placed third with a time of 2:00:28' 分別為 Kejelcha 與 Kiplimo 提供描述性資訊。