LONDON (AP) \u2014 A pair of African distance runners took down what was once among the most unthinkable records in sports on Sunday, shattering the long-unapproachable two-hour barrier in the 26.2-mile (42.2-kilometer) marathon.<\/p>\n
Sabastian Sawe of Kenya won the London Marathon in 1 hour, 59 minutes and 30 seconds, bettering the previous men\u2019s world record by an astonishing 65 seconds. He beat Ethiopia\u2019s Yomif Kejelcha, who was running his first marathon and finished in 1:59.41. <\/p>\n
\u201cWhat comes today is not for me alone,\u201d Sawe said, \u201cbut for all of us today in London.\u201d<\/p>\n
Jacob Kiplimo of Uganda came in third, finishing in 2:00.28. That was seven seconds better than the previous world record held by Kenya\u2019s Kelvin Kiptum and completed a podium in which all three men broke Kiptum\u2019s three-year-old mark.<\/p>\n
Legend has it that the marathon\u2019s distance is the same as the run a Greek soldier made from Marathon to Athens to announce a military victory in ancient times. <\/p>\n
On a relatively flat London course on a mostly sunny day in the low 60s (15 Celsius) \u2014 ideal for running \u2014 Sawe ran a faster second half, covering the second half of the race in 59:01. <\/p>\n
He and Kejelcha pulled clear after 18.5 miles (30 kilometers), then Sawe made his solo break in the final two kilometers. Fans showered him with loud cheers as he sprinted to the finish on The Mall.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think they help a lot,\u201d Sawe said, \u201cbecause if it was not for them you don\u2019t feel like you are so loved … with them calling, you feel so happy and strong.\u201d<\/p>\n
Sawe, who came in as the defending champion<\/a> in London, said it was a \u201cday to remember for me\u201d and thanked the huge crowds who lined the streets of the British capital to witness one of the greatest performances in a sport that asks a simple question: How fast can a person run? <\/p>\n Under two hours has been done before \u2014 unofficially<\/p>\n After Roger Bannister broke the 4-minute mile in 1954, the mark was lowered 18 more times until it reached the current world record: 3:43.13, by Morocco\u2019s great runner, Hicham El Guerrouj. <\/p>\n The mile has been largely replaced by the 1,500 meters as the main four-lap race in major events. The marathon, however, remains a staple of world-class running and the 2-hour barrier \u2014 a nice, even number at a distance that has been around since ancient times \u2014 has been in the sights of the world\u2019s greatest runners (and shoe companies) for about the last 20 years. <\/p>\n Kenyan long-distance great Eliud Kipchoge did, in fact, break 2 hours in 2019, but it did not go into the record books, as it was a specially tailored race \u2014 the \u201c1:59 Challenge\u201d \u2014 run in favorable conditions on a 6-mile track with a stable of 41 rotating pacemakers. Kipchoge finished in 1:59.40.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \n Sign up for Morning Wire:<\/strong> Sawe beat that time by 10 seconds on one of the world\u2019s less-taxing marathon courses. <\/p>\n \u201cThe goalposts have literally just moved for marathon running,\u201d Paula Radcliffe, a former winner of the London Marathon, said during commentary of the race for the BBC. <\/p>\n The first sub-2:30 marathon came in 1925 and the 2:15 barrier was broken 38 years after that. At the turn of the century, the world\u2019s best time for the men\u2019s marathon was 2:05:42, set by Khalid Khannouchi in Chicago in 1999.<\/p>\n Khannouchi broke his own record by four seconds in 2002 \u2014 the previous last time the fastest men\u2019s marathon was run in London \u2014 and it has been whittled down gradually over the last 24 years by a succession of Kenyan and Ethiopian runners, including Haile Gebrselassie, Wilson Kipsang, Kipchoge and, most recently, Kiptum.<\/p>\n Now that the 2-hour mark has been broken, a few other iconic track-and-field records to watch include Usain Bolt\u2019s 9.58 seconds in the 100 meters (2009), Mike Powell\u2019s 8.95 meters in the long jump (1991) and Marita Koch\u2019s 47.60 in the women\u2019s 400 meters<\/a> (1985). <\/p>\n Lightweight shoes with cutting-edge technology help fuel the speed<\/p>\n Part of the lowering of the times is about improvements in training, nutrition and technique.<\/p>\n Another key element is the streamlining of shoes<\/a>, defined through a battle of shoe companies who use carbon-fiber plates and other materials as part of an effort to make shoes lighter and springier. <\/p>\n There\u2019s been ongoing debate about whether the advances in shoes amount to \u201ctechnology doping.\u201d Seven years ago, Kipchoge wore Nike in his controlled run at sub-2 hours. On Sunday, Sawe was in Adidas, which is making a men\u2019s size 9 shoe that weighs 3.4 ounces \u2014 less than half the weight of an average running shoe, according to the Wall Street Journal.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen you give them the box, they think it\u2019s a joke,\u201d Patrick Nava, general manager of Adidas running, told WSJ. \u201cThey think the box is empty.\u201d <\/p>\n Assefa wins fastest-ever women\u2019s-only marathon <\/p>\n A record also went down in the women\u2019s race, with Ethiopia\u2019s Tigst Assefa pulling away with about 500 meters remaining to win in 2:15:41 and defend the title in the fastest-ever time in a women\u2019s-only marathon.<\/p>\n However, it was 16 seconds slower than the course record set by Radcliffe in 2003 when it was a mixed race.<\/p>\n
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