Guinness World Records has officially recognized the London Marathon 2026 as an event of unprecedented historical significance, marking new benchmarks in athletic achievement and participant engagement. The prestigious event, which concluded on April 26, recorded an astounding 59,830 official finishers, surpassing the previous record of 59,226 set by the New York City Marathon in 2025. This achievement positioned the London Marathon 2026 as the largest marathon in history by participation, with a total of 60,512 individuals taking part.
Beyond those who ran, the event also saw a record-breaking number of applications, receiving an unprecedented 1,133,813 entries from around the globe. This significantly broke its own previous record of 840,318 applications from the 2025 edition.
The historical status of the 2026 London Marathon was further cemented by the extraordinary performances witnessed in the elite races, where the top three male competitors not only broke existing records but also established new milestones in the sport. In a truly monumental moment for marathon running, both the men’s champion, Sabastian Sawe, and the runner-up, Yomif Kejelcha, achieved the incredible feat of completing the 42.195-kilometer course in under two hours. They became the first athletes in history to accomplish this milestone in a competitive marathon.
Kenya’s Sabastian Sawe clinched the title with an astonishing time of 1 hour, 59 minutes, and 30 seconds, officially becoming the new world’s fastest marathon runner over the standard distance. Ethiopia’s Yomif Kejelcha followed closely, securing second place with a time of 1 hour, 59 minutes, and 41 seconds. Uganda’s Jacob Kiplimo, finishing in third place, also delivered a remarkable performance, completing the race in 2 hours, 0 minutes, and 28 seconds, a time that surpassed the previous world record.
These exceptional times meant that all three leading men collectively surpassed the previous world record, which had been set by Kenya’s Kelvin Kiptum at the Chicago Marathon in 2023. Tragically, Kiptum, a promising talent, passed away in a car accident in his home country in 2024 at the young age of 24.
The women’s elite race also saw impressive displays of athleticism. Ethiopia’s Tigst Assefa emerged as the champion, crossing the finish line in 2 hours, 15 minutes, and 41 seconds. This victory marked a new London Marathon course record for Assefa, breaking her own previous record of 2 hours, 15 minutes, and 50 seconds, which she had set in the London Marathon’s previous edition as the host nation’s representative. It is worth noting that her personal best remains 2 hours, 11 minutes, and 53 seconds, achieved at the Berlin Marathon in Germany in 2023.
Kenya’s Hellen Obiri secured second place with a time of 2 hours, 15 minutes, and 53 seconds, followed by her compatriot Joyciline Jepkosgei, who took third place in 2 hours, 15 minutes, and 55 seconds. As of the conclusion of this event, the overall world record for the fastest female marathon runner continues to be held by Kenya’s Ruth Chepng’etich, who set an incredible time of 2 hours, 9 minutes, and 56 seconds at the Chicago Marathon in 2024.
