Sub 2 Happened & Did the Marathon Change Forever? Sawe 1:59:30 + 2:05 Shocker in Toledo

2026-04-27

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Sabastian Sawe ran 1:59:30 at the London Marathon to become the first person to officially break two hours, with Yomif Kejelcha running 1:59:41 in his marathon debut to become the second. The top three all broke Kelvin Kiptum's previous world record of 2:00:25. On the women's side, Tigist Assefa defended her title in a women's-only world record of 2:15:41. Meanwhile in Toledo, Ohio, unsponsored 25-year-old Vincent Mauri shocked the running world with a 2:05:54 solo effort at the Glass City...

Sabastian Sawe ran 1:59:30 at the London Marathon to become the first person to officially break two hours, with Yomif Kejelcha running 1:59:41 in his marathon debut to become the second. The top three all broke Kelvin Kiptum's previous world record of 2:00:25. On the women's side, Tigist Assefa defended her title in a women's-only world record of 2:15:41. Meanwhile in Toledo, Ohio, unsponsored 25-year-old Vincent Mauri shocked the running world with a 2:05:54 solo effort at the Glass City Marathon, making him the fourth-fastest American ever on a record-eligible course. The crew also breaks down Penn Relays drama, Cheptegei's marathon struggles, and whether Kipchoge's exhibition stole Sawe's thunder.

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1:59:40 Shirts on Sale!

LINKS

LetsRun.com Sub-2 Marathon Recap
The Two-Hour Barrier Fell: How Sabastian Sawe Rewrote the Record Books in London
Rachel Bachman's Wall Street Journal Article on the Adidas Adios Pro Evo 3
"The Myth of a Sub Two Hour Marathon" by Robert Johnson (May 6, 2013)
The Myth of the Sub-2-Hour Marathon: Part II by Robert Johnson (April 27, 2026)
Vincent Mauri's Strava Account
LetsRun Thread: "Anyone Else Feel Kind of Deflated Now That the Two Hour Barrier Has Been Broken?"
McFarland/Penn State Instagram Taunting Incident
1:59:40 Collector's Edition T-Shirts

TIMESTAMPS

00:00 Sponsor / Intro
00:43 Sawe and Kejelcha Shatter Two Hours in London
05:21 The Jaw-Dropping Second Half Splits
07:57 The Adidas Shoe That Changed Everything
15:50 Watching History Unfold on Race Morning
18:05 Tailwinds, Pacing, and How Fast Can Sawe Go
20:22 Why the Marathon Wall Has Disappeared
24:37 Sawe's Final 10K and the Fueling Revolution
26:52 Drug Testing and Sawe's $50K Clean Sport Pledge
32:47 Does Breaking Two Hours Feel Deflating
36:20 Did Kipchoge Ruin the Sub-Two Moment
41:06 Will Sawe Be Remembered in History
46:09 The Last Great Barrier Is Gone
47:50 Cheptegei Struggles Again in the Marathon
52:19 London Women's Race: Assefa Defends Her Title
56:50 From Paul Radcliffe to the Vincent Mauri Bombshell
63:23 Putting Vincent Mauri's 2:05 in Perspective
71:18 The Backstory: How Vincent Mauri Did It
77:24 Penn Relays: Oregon vs Villanova Showdown
83:14 The Four by Eight Record and Taunting Controversy
92:10 Quincy Wilson Leads Bullis to Historic Win
95:20 Gabby Thomas Sub-11 and the Retro Marathon Proposal

CONTACT

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ABOUT THE LETSRUN.COM PODCAST

Since 2000, LetsRun.com has been the independent home of elite running. Described by the New York Times as the "influential website that serves as something of a superego for American running," the podcast is the weekly deep dive into the world of track and field and elite distance running. The show is hosted by LetsRun.com co-founders Weldon Johnson, a 2-time Team USA member, and Robert Johnson, a former Cornell coach who helped pace the marathon world record, along with award-winning senior writer Jonathan Gault. They provide insider reporting and unfiltered debate serious fans rely on.

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