Sawe Shatters Two‑Hour Barrier as Assefa Sets Women‑Only Record and London Marathon Smashes Charity Fundraising Mark

Sabastian Sawe completed the London Marathon in 1 hour, 59 minutes, and 30 seconds, marking the first ratified sub-two-hour marathon. Tigst Assefa set a new women-only world record, while the event raised £87.3 million for charity.

Sabastian Sawe completed the London Marathon in 1 hour, 59 minutes, and 30 seconds, marking the first officially ratified sub-two-hour marathon performance. This result positions him as the first runner to achieve this milestone under standard competition rules. Ethiopia’s Yomif Kejelcha also recorded a time under two hours, finishing in 1 hour, 59 minutes, and 41 seconds. Both performances surpassed the previous men’s world record of 2 hours, 0 minutes, and 35 seconds, established in Chicago in 2023.

This achievement follows Eliud Kipchoge's non-ratified 1 hour, 59 minutes, and 40 seconds performance from 2019, which occurred under specific conditions that did not meet standard competition requirements for a world record. Sawe’s ratified time establishes a new official benchmark for the marathon distance. His performance, alongside Kejelcha’s, indicates a shift in competitive expectations at the elite level.

In the women’s elite race, Tigst Assefa secured victory and set a new women-only world record with a time of 2 hours, 15 minutes, and 41 seconds. This time improves upon her own previous best on the London course by nine seconds. Her record specifically applies to races where female athletes compete without male pacemakers. This distinguishes it from the overall women's world record of 2 hours, 9 minutes, and 56 seconds, achieved in a mixed-gender race. Hellen Obiri finished second in 2 hours, 15 minutes, and 53 seconds, illustrating the competitive depth.

Beyond the athletic records, the 2025 London Marathon established a new global benchmark for charitable fundraising. The event generated a record £87.3 million, approximately $118 million, for various charitable causes. This figure represents the largest sum ever collected by a single-day fundraising event worldwide, underscoring the event's significant philanthropic reach. The previous year’s race also set a record for the number of finishers, with over 56,000 participants completing the course.

The London Marathon continues to drive progress in both elite athletic performance and community engagement. Observers will monitor future marathon events to see if these new time barriers become more frequently challenged by elite athletes. Furthermore, ongoing discussions by event organizers about potentially expanding the London Marathon to a two-day format next year could impact participation numbers and future fundraising totals.