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

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

• Email: [email protected]
• Call or text: 1-844-LETSRUN (1-844-538-7786)

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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