The world witnessed sporting history on Sunday when Sabastian Sawe became the first man to run 26.2 miles in under two hours in a competitive race at a record-breaking and historic 2026 TCS London Marathon.
The 31-year-old Kenyan clocked 1:59:30 to retain the men’s marathon crown in a barrier-breaking contest that saw two athletes dip below the historic sub two-hour mark and three cross the Finish Line inside the previous world record.
It was a history-making day in the women’s race too, as Ethiopia’s Tigst Assefa bettered the women-only world record she set here 12 months ago, retaining her title in 2:15:41, as three athletes crossed the line under 2:16 for the first time in a women’s marathon.
It was a show of force from the 2025 champions, with all four successfully defending their crowns – another London Marathon-first. Marcel Hug dominated the men’s wheelchair race to clinch his eighth title to join Britain’s David Weir as the most successful elite athlete in the event’s 46-year history.
Meanwhile, fellow Swiss Catherine Debrunner triumphed again in the women’s race after a thrilling head-to-head against former champion Tatyana McFadden.
Behind the elites came the masses – the club runners, fancy dress-wearers and charity fundraisers who completed the journey from Greenwich to The Mall in their tens of thousands, with a record-breaking 58,250 having crossed the Finish Line by 18:15 on Sunday evening.
In addition, more than 1,900 participants with disabilities made this the most inclusive London Marathon ever, on a day Hugh Brasher, the Event Director, hailed “the greatest weekend in London Marathon history”.
“It’s been incredible, truly historic,” said Brasher. “We’ve got some incredible sports performances, incredible people raising money for charity, and we have the highest number of participants with a disability and the most diversity we’ve ever had.
“We’ve had elite performances that have never been done before, that people said couldn’t be done,” he added. “It’s a day almost indescribable in its joy and in its sense of achievement. I honestly couldn’t be happier.”
The TCS London Marathon is the world’s largest annual one-day fundraising event. Already this year, £38,072,978 has been raised on Enthuse, the official fundraising platform. This is a record figure raised by Marathon Day on the platform, and a 22% increase on the figure on the same platform 12 months ago. The full charity total of the 2026 TCS London Marathon will be announced in the coming months when all the fundraising has been collated.
Among the tens of thousands on the roads were more than 700 fundraising finishers for Charity of the Year, Marie Curie. These included dancer AJ Pritchard, who echoed the feelings of many celebrity runners, saying: “I feel super-exhausted and emotional.”
Elsewhere, Richard Whitehead, Britain’s world and Paralympic champion broke his own world record for double amputee runners, finishing his 106th marathon in 2:40:25.
Meanwhile, fitness guru Joe Wicks chaperoned cartoon character Daddy Pig around the course in under six hours, the pair running to raise money for the National Deaf Children’s Society, in honour of the character’s two-year-old TV son, George, who is deaf.
“Daddy showed up, determined to have fun and inspire his whole family to be active,” said Wicks.
Daddy Pig crosses the Finish Line with Joe Wicks in another first at the TCS London Marathon
Other celebrities to finish included Formula One ace Sebastian Vettel, actors Cynthia Erivo and Jack O’Connell, plus Olympic gold medallists Dame Laura Kenny and Sir Ben Ainslie.
Back for a second year in succession were Spirit of London Marathon Award winners Sergio Aguiar and David Stancombe. The pair ran in memory of their daughters Alice Da Silva Aguiar and Elsie Dot Stancombe, who were killed in a knife attack in Southport in July 2024.
Among the many other firsts at the 2026 TCS London Marathon was Woodland Way, which offered participants the chance to connect with nature as they passed the 10-mile mark on Salter Road.
A brand-new event kicked off marathon weekend when the TCS London Marathon and Friday Night Lights 5K was held in Battersea Park, while Saturday saw nearly 20,000 children and young people complete the biggest ever TCS Mini London Marathon.
“I set targets every year, and this has surpassed anything that I could have imagined,” said Brasher. “Sometimes you just have to take a deep breath and love what is going on out there.”
The 2027 TCS London Marathon is on Sunday 25 April 2027. The ballot for entries will close on Friday 1 May. Enter the 2027 TCS London Marathon Ballot now.
