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Split by split! How world record-breaker Sabastian Sawe conquered London for greatest run in history
26th April, 2026 03:34 PM
Revealed splits of Sabastian Sawe’s historic feat in the London Marathon have provided insight into how the Kenyan went about breaking the marathon record with his incredible sub-2 performance.
Revealed splits are the individual time segments recorded for specific, set distances.
Sawe broke the world marathon record, clocking a record-breaking 1:59:30, to not only defend his London Marathon title but also remarkably become the first person to run under 2 hours.
New marathon record
The feat saw the marathoner smash the previous marathon record set by Kelvin Kiptum in 2023. In Chicago,
Ironically, Sawe’s splits show that he actually got faster as the race went on, despite the distance. He picked up his pace toward the end, turning a grueling 42.2km run into a progressively faster sprint to the finish.
Firstly, his first five kilometres (02:51/km) at the capital Woolwich area, where the three different starting groups designated by colours, red, green, and blue, just merged into one massive elite pack.
10km (02:53/km):
Sawe was passing this point near the Greenwich town center as the race just neared the 11 km mark.
15km (02:55/km):
By 15 km, he and the leading pack were located at the Surrey Quays/Rotherhithe area as the race settled down just before the halfway push.
Mid-race surge: 20km to 30km
- 20km (02:51/km): This split occurred just as Sawe was preparing to cross the majestic Tower Bridge.
- Half Marathon (02:52/km): The 21.1km mark is right in the center of Tower Bridge, offering the most famous backdrop of the entire race as the athletes cross from south to north London.
- Pulling Away at the 30km (02:53/km):
At this point, the leading trio of Sawe, Yomif Kejelcha, and Jacob Kiplimo had begun to pull away from the rest of the field.
Sawe’s record-breaking feat was, however, down to his powerful kick as the race headed into the 35km to 40 km.
Breakaway point
The still undefeated athlete in the marathon, in a calculated move, first slacked off in his pace here, effectively breaking the challenge of Ugandan Kiplimo.
With the brief moment of “rest” from the dropping pace, Sawe recorded his fastest split at the 40 km mark (02:45/km). By this point, he was in a head-to-head sprint with Kejelcha, as history beckoned.
Sawe covered the final 2.2 kilometres at an even more blistering pace, passing the famous clock, Big Ben, and the Houses of Parliament before making the famous right turn at Buckingham Palace to finish on The Mall in 1:59:30. to make the new world record.
