Yomif Kejelcha, the Second Man to Break the Sub-2 Hour Marathon

Yomif Kejelcha was central to a landmark moment in distance running during Sunday’s London Marathon, delivering what stands as the greatest debut performance ever over the distance.

While much of the attention went to Kenya’s Sabastian Sawe, who became the first athlete to run a marathon under two hours in race conditions, Kejelcha’s contribution to that achievement was equally significant.

“I knew that shifting from track to the Marathon would bring big changes in my career, and I’m thrilled to say that the first debut lived up to the expectations Running sub-2 hours in London felt unthinkable yet that day arrived and I fulfilled that dream.”

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A Race Shaped by Rivalry

The Ethiopian was the only runner able to match Sawe’s pace deep into the race. The pair reached the 40km mark together in 1:53:39, holding a 21-second advantage over third-placed Jacob Kiplimo.

In the preceding 5km segment, both recorded the fastest split of the race at 13:42. Kejelcha responded to every surge, including the decisive increase in pace as they approached Buckingham Palace, with the two athletes driving each other to unprecedented levels.

Sawe eventually broke clear in the closing stages, but Kejelcha maintained his effort to the finish, stopping the clock at 1:59:41 to become only the second athlete ever to dip under the two-hour barrier.

Sawe later acknowledged his rival’s role, saying: “Yomif was so competitive and I think he helped a lot.”

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Much like Chris Brasher and Chris Chataway played a key role in Sir Roger Bannister’s historic sub-four-minute mile, Kejelcha’s presence proved instrumental in this breakthrough performance.

Proven Pedigree at Shorter Distances

Kejelcha’s background suggested he was capable of something extraordinary. He is a former half marathon world record holder, with his 57:30 run at the 2024 Valencia Half Marathon still ranking as the second fastest ever.

On the track, he held the short track mile world record (3:47.01) from 2019 to 2025 and owns a 5,000m personal best of 12:38.95, making him the fourth fastest in history over that distance.

He has also claimed silver medals in the 10,000m at the 2019 and 2025 World Championships.

With this performance, Kejelcha has set a remarkably high standard for a marathon debut, underlining his status as one of the sport’s most versatile and accomplished distance runners.