London, UK — Uganda’s long-distance star Jacob Kiplimo delivered a historic performance at the 2026 London Marathon, clocking an astonishing 2:00:28 — a time faster than the previous official world record.
Kiplimo finished third in a race that rewrote the history books, as Kenya’s Sabastian Sawe became the first man to officially break the two-hour barrier with a world-record time of 1:59:30.
Despite placing third, Kiplimo’s 2:00:28 was itself faster than the previous world record of 2:00:35 set in 2023, underlining the extraordinary depth of the race.
Ethiopia’s Yomif Kejelcha also dipped under two hours, finishing second in 1:59:41, making it the first time in history that multiple athletes broke the iconic barrier in a single race.
The result marks another milestone in what has already been a standout year for Kiplimo. Earlier in 2026, the Ugandan reclaimed the half-marathon world record with a time of 57:20 in Lisbon, reaffirming his dominance in long-distance running.
Sunday’s race in London is now being hailed as one of the greatest marathon contests ever, with three athletes running faster than the previous world record and redefining the limits of human endurance.