Sabastian Sawe
#1 · Marathon · Kenya
1:59:30Official
Men's Marathon
Kelvin Kiptum
Kenyan marathoner. 2:00:35 at Chicago on 8 October 2023, now fourth on the World Athletics all-time list.
Race time
2:00:35
Men's marathon, Chicago, 8 October 2023. Personal best on the World Athletics all-time list.
Mechanism
Why it's so fast
Kelvin Kiptum is on this list for a legal marathon, an aerobic race of just over two hours. The fast times are runners who waste very little energy at a pace they can hold. The clock at the top of the page is the one the governing list prints.
Running economy
At this distance the limiter is oxygen and fuel, not the start gun. A runner who uses less energy at the same pace can stay there when others fade.
The course and the day
Kelvin Kiptum's mark needs a legal course and conditions the record will accept. The entry names the race. A time trial with illegal aid is a different sentence and is not swapped in.
Even pace
The quick marathons do not sprint the first mile. They hold a pace that still works at 35 kilometres. Falling apart late is how a brave start becomes an ordinary time.
Nearby on this list: Jacob Kiplimo.
Provenance
Every measurement
Claimed, measured and official figures side by side, each with its source. The ranked figure is marked.
- 2:00:35Ranked figure
Men's marathon, Chicago, 8 October 2023. Personal best on the World Athletics all-time list.
Official
Reference
Specs
- Country
- Kenya
- Event
- Marathon
- Mark
- 2:00:35
- Race
- Chicago, 8 October 2023
Context
Background
The World Athletics men's marathon all-time list prints 2:00:35 for Kelvin Kiptum at Chicago on 8 October 2023. The 2026 London report says Sawe took 65 seconds off that Chicago time. 1:59:30 plus 65 seconds is 2:00:35. Olympics.com also names Kiptum's 2:00:35 from 2023 as the mark Sawe broke.
The Chicago performance remains his best and stays on the all-time list. It is no longer the leading time.
Spot a wrong number?
Every report is read by a person, and corrections are dated on the page.