Kenyan distance star Sabastian Sawe has become the first athlete in history to run an official marathon in under two hours, winning the London Marathon in a stunning time of 1:59:30.
Sawe, the defending champion, broke clear of Ethiopia’s Yomif Kejelcha in the closing stages after the pair had battled shoulder to shoulder deep into the race. Kejelcha, competing in his debut marathon, also dipped under the magical barrier with 1:59:41, while Uganda’s Jacob Kiplimo finished third in 2:00:28. All three men ran faster than the previous world record of 2:00:35 set by the late Kelvin Kiptum in Chicago in 2023.
“We started the race well and at the end of the race I was feeling strong,” Sawe said after the finish. “Finally reaching the line, I saw the time and I was so excited to see I had run a world record today. Coming to London for the second time was so important to me, that’s why I prepared well for it.”
Kenya’s Eliud Kipchoge famously clocked 1:59:40 in Vienna in 2019 as the first man ever to break two hours for the 42.2km distance, but that run was not ratified as a world record because it took place in controlled conditions with rotating pacemakers and did not meet standard competition rules. Sawe’s mark in London is the first sub two hour marathon recognised under official race conditions.
The Kenyan wore Adidas’ new Pro Evo 3 “supershoe”, which weighs under 100 grams and has been at the centre of debate about how advanced footwear is redefining distance running. He led a pack of six through halfway in 1:00:29 before the front group gradually whittled down to just him and Kejelcha.
Women’s race
In the women’s race, Ethiopia’s Tigst Assefa produced another record breaking performance, winning in 2:15:41 to improve her own women’s only world record set on the same London course last year by nine seconds.
Assefa broke away late from Kenyan duo Hellen Obiri and Joyciline Jepkosgei after a three way tussle in the final kilometres. Obiri, a two time world 5,000m champion and 2024 Olympic marathon bronze medallist, took second in a personal best of 2:15:53, finishing just two hundredths of a second ahead of Jepkosgei.
“It was one of my plans coming into this competition to break my own world record from last year’s race,” Assefa said. “To do that has brought me a lot of satisfaction. To repeat my victory from last year means even more.”
The mixed race women’s world record — set in events where female athletes benefit from male pacemakers — remains the 2:09:56 run by Kenya’s Ruth Chepngetich at the Chicago Marathon in 2024.
London Marathon numbers
Organisers expected more than 59,000 runners to complete the 26.2 mile (42.2km) course in this 46th edition of the London Marathon, building on last year’s record 56,640 finishers. Officials say they are exploring plans to stage the race over two days next year, potentially allowing up to 100,000 participants.
The 2025 London Marathon raised a record £87.3 million (about 118 million dollars) for charity, setting a new benchmark for the largest amount ever generated by a single annual one day fundraising event.
About the author
Ayra Starr earns UK silver certification for Bloody Samaritan milestone
Nigerian singer Ayra Starr's 2021 hit song "Bloody Samaritan" has earned a Silver certification from the British Phonographic Industry (BPI) in the United Kingdom, marking 200,000 combined sales and streaming units for the track that became a cultural phenomenon. The silver certification adds to the song's growing list of international achievements, including Platinum certifications in the UK, Canada and New Zealand, and a Diamond certification in France. The track was the lead single from Ayra Starr's debut album "19 & Dangerous" and was released on July 30, 2021. "Bloody Samaritan" made Ayra Starr the first female artist to reach number one on Nigeria's TurnTable Top 50 chart with a solo single. The song also charted internationally, reaching number 34 in Suriname and gaining widespread recognition across multiple territories. The track has been certified 2× Platinum by the TurnTable Certification System […]
BNXN says living in Lagos is more expensive than living in the US
Nigerian singer and songwriter BNXN (formerly Buju) has said that it is now more expensive to live in Lagos than in the United States, citing the dramatic rise in housing, food, electricity and transportation costs in Nigeria's commercial capital. BNXN made the revelation during an interview, explaining that the cost of maintaining a developed country lifestyle in Nigeria has become extremely high. He noted that while Nigeria is a least developed country, maintaining first-world standards of living there is hard and expensive. The singer explained that for an average person, living in Lagos costs about 6.9 times more than the average salary because imported lifestyle expectations make everyday expenses disproportionately high. This includes housing, food, transport, energy and other essential costs. BNXN's comments highlight the growing economic pressure on Nigerians trying to maintain modern lifestyles in Lagos. The city is […]
Chelsea confirms four players will leave club ahead of new season
Chelsea Football Club has confirmed that four players will leave the club this month when their current contracts expire on June 30 as the Blues announce their retained and released squad list ahead of the new Premier League season under incoming manager Xabi Alonso. The four departing players are midfielder Sam Rak-Sakyi and Finnish youth international Jimi Tauriainen, along with fellow youth players Richard Olise and Brodi Hughes. All four have been informed they will be released when their contracts expire. The Premier League officially announced Chelsea's list of players retained or released at the end of the 2024/25 season. This follows the announcement that young striker Ronnie Stutter will move to a month-to-month contract with the club instead. Chelsea have confirmed their squad list ahead of the new season as they prepare for Xabi Alonso's arrival at Stamford Bridge. […]
Ronaldo Iwobi headline as Nigeria and Portugal meet in Leira friendly match tonight
Nigeria's Super Eagles and Portugal's Seleção das Quinas will face off in central Portugal's town of Leiria tonight in an international friendly that promises fierce competition despite its tag. The match kicks off at 8.45pm Portugal time, which is the same time as in Nigeria. Before kick-off, Nigeria will honour midfielder Alex Iwobi as he collects his 100th senior cap for the Super Eagles. This milestone is an inspiration and occasion for the Trojan to exert dominance in midfield against Roberto Martinez's World Cup-bound Portuguese stars. Portugal's lineup includes Messi-rival Cristiano Ronaldo, Bruno Fernandes and an attacking band of Pedro Neto, Francisco Trincão supporting the legendary forward. The Spanish champions are set up in a 4-2-3-1 formation with José Sá in goal, a back four of Diogo Dalot, Tomás Araújo, Gonçalo Inácio and João Cancelo, a double pivot of Samú […]
Northern Elders tell Tinubu Nigeria is bleeding declare national security emergency
The Northern Elders Forum (NEF) on Wednesday faulted President Bola Ahmed Tinubu's administration over worsening insecurity across Nigeria, declaring that the country is bleeding under the weight of escalating violence, kidnappings and banditry. The Forum called on the Federal Government to immediately declare a National Security Emergency and implement extraordinary measures to reverse the current security situation. NEF spokesperson Professor Abubakar Jiddere said the government has a constitutional and international obligation to protect lives and property. The directive included demands for the immediate deployment of adequately trained, armed and equipped security forces with clear rules of engagement to protect civilian populations and secure international border regions. NEF called for strengthening border control and regional cooperation with neighbouring states under ECOWAS and African Union protocols to stem cross-border incursions by armed criminal groups. The Forum also urged engagement of international partners […]
Iran strikes US bases in Jordan and Bahrain in retaliation for US attacks in Hormuz
Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has launched strikes on United States military installations in Bahrain, Jordan and Kuwait in retaliation for US airstrikes on Iranian ports and islands in the Strait of Hormuz following the downing of an Apache attack helicopter. In a statement released through state media on Wednesday, the IRGC reported it executed drone strikes against the US Fifth Fleet in Bahrain and the Ali Al Salem base in Kuwait, along with a long-range missile attack targeting an airbase in Azraq, Jordan. The IRGC indicated it hit 21 US targets, claiming to have destroyed four of them, which included a hangar for F-35 fighter jets at the Jordanian base. It also asserted that a US MQ-9 drone was downed over the Iranian city of Jam. Bahrain and Kuwait both sounded alerts and fired air defenses in response […]
Related
Chelsea confirms four players will leave club ahead of new season
Chelsea Football Club has confirmed that four players will leave the club this month when their current contracts expire on June 30 as the Blues announce their retained and released squad list ahead of the new Premier League season under incoming manager Xabi Alonso. The four departing players are midfielder Sam Rak-Sakyi and Finnish youth international Jimi Tauriainen, along with fellow youth players Richard Olise and Brodi Hughes. All four have been informed they will be released when their contracts expire. The Premier League officially announced Chelsea's list of players retained or released at the end of the 2024/25 season. This follows the announcement that young striker Ronnie Stutter will move to a month-to-month contract with the club instead. Chelsea have confirmed their squad list ahead of the new season as they prepare for Xabi Alonso's arrival at Stamford Bridge. […]
Ronaldo Iwobi headline as Nigeria and Portugal meet in Leira friendly match tonight
Nigeria's Super Eagles and Portugal's Seleção das Quinas will face off in central Portugal's town of Leiria tonight in an international friendly that promises fierce competition despite its tag. The match kicks off at 8.45pm Portugal time, which is the same time as in Nigeria. Before kick-off, Nigeria will honour midfielder Alex Iwobi as he collects his 100th senior cap for the Super Eagles. This milestone is an inspiration and occasion for the Trojan to exert dominance in midfield against Roberto Martinez's World Cup-bound Portuguese stars. Portugal's lineup includes Messi-rival Cristiano Ronaldo, Bruno Fernandes and an attacking band of Pedro Neto, Francisco Trincão supporting the legendary forward. The Spanish champions are set up in a 4-2-3-1 formation with José Sá in goal, a back four of Diogo Dalot, Tomás Araújo, Gonçalo Inácio and João Cancelo, a double pivot of Samú […]
Olympic Qualifier: Comoros Women Beat Sudan to Face Super Falcons
Comoros women's national football team has produced one of the most emphatic performances seen in recent continental qualifying history, dismantling Sudan 17-0 in a one-sided encounter during the first leg of their LA 2028 Olympic qualifiers. The match was played in Casablanca, Morocco on June 4, 2026, and Comoros virtually sealed their place in the next round of qualifiers. Comoros recorded a commanding 17-goal victory that leaves them firmly in control of the tie and on the verge of advancing to face Nigeria's Super Falcons in the second round. Fatima Saïd Madjiri scored in the 8th minute, while Aliya Saïd netted in the 17th and 42nd minutes. Shaima Boina Ali scored twice (31', 54'), and Haloua Ahamada delivered a standout performance with five goals (33', 49', 66', 89'). The African qualifiers for the Los Angeles 2028 Women's Olympic Football Tournament […]
UK Government Concerned by Abuse Claims Against West Ham Co-Owner
The UK government has expressed concern over allegations that West Ham co-owner David Sullivan abused his power to prey on women for sex, in some cases when they were in their late teens. A Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) spokesman said the "deeply concerning" allegations must be "taken the utmost seriousness" and investigated by the appropriate authorities. The Independent Football Regulator (IFR) has stated it is "in contact" with West Ham United and intends to utilize its legal authority to request "immediate information" from co-owner David Sullivan regarding his "suitability" within the framework for Owners, Directors, and Senior Executives. An IFR spokesperson said: "These are extremely serious allegations. We are in contact with West Ham on this matter and will use our statutory powers to seek urgent information from David Sullivan relating to his suitability under our owners, […]
Iwobi Rues World Cup Miss Ahead of 100th Cap Against Portugal
As he prepares to earn his 100th cap for Nigeria in Wednesday's international friendly against Portugal, Nigeria midfielder Alex Iwobi says he has no regrets about his decade-long career with the Super Eagles. Iwobi made his senior debut for Nigeria in October 2015 and will become only the fourth Nigerian player to reach 100 international caps, joining Joseph Yobo, Vincent Enyeama and Ahmed Musa. Barring any unexpected twist, Iwobi is expected to join Jospeh Yobo, Vincent Enyeama and Ahmed Musa as one of only four Nigerians to have played a century of games for the national team when he lines out against Cristiano Ronaldo's Portugal in Leiria. His 99th appearance was during a friendly match against Jordan in Antalya in March, and unfortunately, he was sent off after uncharacteristically reacting to an opponent grabbing him. The Fulham midfielder, who represented […]
Christian Eriksen Doing Well After Collapsing During Friendly
Christian Eriksen experienced a collapse during Denmark's friendly match against Ukraine but is now conscious and alert, according to the Danish Football Association. The match, held in Odense, was interrupted in the 65th minute when Eriksen fell, and it was called off shortly thereafter. "Christian is doing well and left the field on his own," stated Morten Boesen, Denmark's national team physician. He added, "From my perspective, the pacemaker functioned as intended. He was momentarily unconscious but quickly regained awareness, and we established contact with him promptly." The 34-year-old midfielder was able to walk off the pitch independently before being taken to hospital in Odense for further tests to ascertain the reason behind this episode. Boesen mentioned, "He will now have additional tests at the hospital to ascertain the reason behind this episode. We are maintaining regular communication with him […]