London Marathon 2026: Kenya’s Sabastian Sawe makes history as he becomes first person to


Sabastian Sawe has won the London Marathon after running the fastest race in history – smashing the world record in under two hours.

The extraordinary feat saw the Kenyan athlete pass the finish line in a time of one hour 59 minutes and 30 seconds.

He was followed by Yomif Kejelcha in second place and Jacob Kiplimo who came in third. 

Tigst Assefa won the elite women’s London Marathon race – claiming her second consecutive victory and also setting a new world record.

The enduring athlete passed the finishing line in two hours 15 minutes and 41 seconds, nine seconds quicker than her 2025 time.

She was followed by Hellen Obiri and Joyceline Jepkesgoi – with all three finishing under the two hour 16 minutes mark. 

It comes as thousands of runners set off today for the much-anticipated mass event – with temperatures expected to soar to 20C.

READ: ‘A Sign Of The Swine?’ Fans convinced HARRY STYLES is secretly Daddy Pig

Harry Styles fans have been convinced the singer disguised himself as Daddy Pig to take part in today’s Marathon.

You can read the full report by showbusiness reporter reporter Milly Veitch here:

Daddy Pig stops for selfies amid allegation he was ‘already exhausted at mile three’

Daddy Pig was seen stopping for selfies with other runners as he entered the last 10 miles of the race – putting to bed allegations he was ‘already exhausted at mile three’.

Meanwhile the temperature has been climbing, with highs of 21C expected on The Mall at 4pm.

BGUK_3561835 - London, UNITED KINGDOM  Daddy Pug already exhausted at mile 3 of the London marathon  Pictured: Daddy pig  BACKGRID UK 26 APRIL 2026   BYLINE MUST READ: Bob Grey / BACKGRID  UK: +44 208 344 2007 / uksales@backgrid.com  USA: +1 310 798 9111 / usasales@backgrid.com  *Pictures Containing Children Please Pixelate Face Prior To Publication*

Martin runs Marathon for his daughter Audrey

Martin Taylor has said he is running today’s race for his young daughter Audrey, who was diagnosed with moderate deafness and now wears ‘pink, sparkly hearing aids’.

He said:

I want to demonstrate to Audrey there’s no limitatons and she can do anything she sets her mind to.

PICTURED: Two worthy winners raise the trophy

LONDON, ENGLAND - APRIL 26: Men's winner Sabastian Sawe of Team Kenya and Women's winner Tigst Assefa of Team Ethiopia pose for a photo at the presentation ceremony after the 2026 TCS London Marathon on April 26, 2026 in London, England. (Photo by Alex Davidson/Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND - APRIL 26: Men's winner Sabastian Sawe of Team Kenya and Women's winner Tigst Assefa of Team Ethiopia pose for a photo at the presentation ceremony after the 2026 TCS London Marathon on April 26, 2026 in London, England. (Photo by Alex Davidson/Getty Images)

Tigst Assefa and Sabastian Sawe were seen posing together for a photo at the Marathon presentation ceremony.

It may have felt like a stroke of de ja vu as the pair were snapped together in a very similar photograph this time last year.

Men’s wheelchair winner Marcel Hug says it’s ‘really special’ to equal ‘legend’ David Weir’s eight London Marathon wins

Elite men’s wheelchair winner Swiss Marcel Hug has today equaled British Paralympic legend David Weir’s eight London Marathon gold medals. This is Hug’s sixth win of the race in six years.

Hug said: ‘It feels really amazing. I’m not very much into statistics but this one is really special.

‘To be equal with David Weir who is a legend in the London Marathon but also in wheelchair racing in general.

‘So it really means a lot to me to be with him on the same stage.’

Switzerland's Marcel Hug celebrates winning the wheelchair race at the London Marathon in London, Sunday, April 26, 2026.(AP Photo/Ian Walton)

Catherine Debrunner ‘had a big fight’ to win elite wheelchair women’s race in tense sprint with rival Tatyana McFadden

Elite wheelchair women’s winner Swiss Catherine Debrunner said: ‘It has been a great race day for many of us. I’m super happy to take the win here in London, it’s a special place to me.

‘We definitely had a big fight today’.

There was a tense battle near the end of the race down the Embankment where Debrunner had a tense sprint with her American competitor Tatyana McFadden.

Debrunner said: ‘I was very happy that I managed to win the end sprint.’

She added: ‘I knew that she was a very good sprinter but I was really hoping that I could win it. I knew that I was very strong; I had very good training the last couple of months so I felt very well prepared.

And I just thought lets take all the risk and lets go all in on the last two kilometres.’

She completed the race in one hour 38 minutes and 30 second – her second London Marathon win.

Athletics - London Marathon - London, Britain - April 26, 2026 Switzerland's Catherine Debrunner celebrates winning the women's wheelchair race REUTERS/Matthew Childs

Former England rugby youngster player Matt Hampson paralysed while playing taking part in wheelchair and fundraising

Former England rugby youngster Matt Hampson who was paralysed in a scrum aged 25 is participating in the London Marathon in a special wheelchair to raise money for people in a similar position.

Following his injury, he said he remembered watching his teammates play from his lounge on the TV after the accident and was ‘just crying.’

‘I felt a sense of loss that I was never going to do that again’

Matt now breathes with the aid of a ventilator and is wheelchair bound.

He spoke about starting his charity to help others in similar situations.

He said: ‘I had so much support from so many people from all walks of life. And I saw so many people who didn’t have that – who didn’t have one visitor from one week to the next.

‘And I thought “I need to do something, I need to give something back.”‘

He created the Matt Hampson Foundation and is now trying to raise £100,000 for the charity on the marathon to help other young people who have been paralysed.

Four of his friends will be pushing him the 26.2 miles.

Sabastian Sawe ‘so excited’ for his record breaking marathon time and was egged on by fierce competitors

Men’s winner Kenyan Sebastian Sawe said fierce competition helped him break the world record for the men’s marathon. He is the first man to run a marathon like this in under two hours.

He said: ‘I was so excited to see I was running a world record today.’

Adding: ‘I am so happy for today’s results. I think I was well prepared because coming to London for the second time was so important to me so that’s why I prepared for it.’

He thanks the crowds for cheering him along, saying that they helped him feel ‘loved’ and kept him going.

He wrote his record time on his shoe – one hour 59 minutes and 30 seconds

Sebastian Sawe from Kenya celebrates winning the men's race at the London Marathon in London, Sunday, April 26, 2026.(AP Photo/Ian Walton)

Tigst Assefa ‘so happy’ to break her own world record she set last year

Women’s winner Ethiopian Tigst Assefa said she was ‘so happy’ to break her own world record and retain her victory since last year.

She said: ‘I’m so happy to win again, I want to thank God for giving me this victory. To repeat my victory from last year means even more, so the happiness I feel is just swelling up inside me.’

She had written the world record time on her shoe, determined to break it.

She added: ‘It was one of my plans when coming into this competition to break my own world record from last year’s race so to do that has brought me a lot of satisfaction.’

LONDON, ENGLAND - APRIL 26:  Tigst Assefa of Team Ethiopia celebrates with her adidas shoe after winning with a new World Record time during the Women's 2026 TCS London Marathon on April 26, 2026 in London, England. (Photo by Alex Davidson/Getty Images)

Breaking:‘History in the making’: Sawe WINS London Marathon and breaks two-hour mark

Sabastian Sawe after winning the Men's elite race during the 2026 TCS London Marathon. Picture date: Sunday April 26, 2026. PA Photo. Photo credit should read: John Walton/PA Wire.NOTE TO EDITORS: Use subject to restrictions. Editorial use only, no commercial use without prior consent from rights holder.
LONDON, ENGLAND - APRIL 26: Sabastian Sawe of Team Kenya celebrates crossing the line and winning with a new World Record time during the Men's 2026 TCS London Marathon on April 26, 2026 in London, England. (Photo by Alex Davidson/Getty Images)

Sabastian Sawe has set a new world record – winning the London Marathon and breaking the two-hour mark.

The Kenyan, who appeared to speed up in the final miles, achieved an incredible time of one hour, 59 minutes and 30 seconds.

He was followed by Yomif Kejelcha in second place and Jacob Kiplimo who came in third.

Breaking:Tigst Assefa WINS London women’s race

LONDON, ENGLAND - APRIL 26:  Tigst Assefa of Team Ethiopia celebrates crossing the line and winning with a new World Record time during the Women's 2026 TCS London Marathon on April 26, 2026 in London, England. (Photo by Alex Davidson/Getty Images)

Tigst Assefa has carried through her title, winning the 48th edition women’s race.

She passed the finishing line in two hours 15 minutes and 41 seconds, nine seconds quicker than her 2025 time.

Assefa was followed by Hellen Obiri and Joyceline Jepkesgoi – with all three finishing under the two hour 16 minutes mark.

IN PICTURES: The day’s costumes

Enjoy these pictures of some of the most stunning costumes from today.

LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM - APRIL 26: Runners arrive in Greenwich Park ahead of the start of the London Marathon in London, United Kingdom, on April 26, 2026. Around 50,000 people take part in the race. (Photo by Marcin Nowak/Anadolu via Getty Images)
LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM - APRIL 26: Runners arrive in Greenwich Park ahead of the start of the London Marathon in London, United Kingdom, on April 26, 2026. Around 50,000 people take part in the race. (Photo by Marcin Nowak/Anadolu via Getty Images)
LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM - APRIL 26: Runners arrive in Greenwich Park ahead of the start of the London Marathon in London, United Kingdom, on April 26, 2026. Around 50,000 people take part in the race. (Photo by Marcin Nowak/Anadolu via Getty Images)
Runner in fancy dress during the 2026 TCS London Marathon. Picture date: Sunday April 26, 2026. PA Photo. Photo credit should read: Ben Whitley/PA Wire.NOTE TO EDITORS: Use subject to restrictions. Editorial use only, no commercial use without prior consent from rights holder.
LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM - APRIL 26: Runners arrive in Greenwich Park ahead of the start of the London Marathon in London, United Kingdom, on April 26, 2026. Around 50,000 people take part in the race. (Photo by Marcin Nowak/Anadolu via Getty Images)
LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM - APRIL 26: Runners arrive in Greenwich Park ahead of the start of the London Marathon in London, United Kingdom, on April 26, 2026. Around 50,000 people take part in the race. (Photo by Marcin Nowak/Anadolu via Getty Images)





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