London Marathon 2026 Review: Sub 2, World Records & Shoes

The 2026 London Marathon may go down as one of the greatest races in marathon history. In this episode we break down the stunning performances that redefined what’s possible over 26.2 miles. Kenya’s Sabastian Sawe made history by running 1:59:30, becoming the first athlete to break the two-hour barrier in official race conditions at the London Marathon. Behind him, Yomif Kejelcha also dipped under two hours, while Jacob Kiplimo completed one of the fastest podiums ever assembled. On the women’s side, Tigst Assefa delivered a historic run with a women’s-only world record, holding off marathon stars Hellen Obiri and Joyciline Jepkosgei in an incredibly deep race. We also look at the role of super-shoe technology — including the Adidas Adizero Adios Pro Evo 3 — and how modern racing shoes continue to reshape elite marathon performance. Finally, we tackle the difficult but important conversation around doping in Kenyan athletics. With historic performances and ongoing anti-doping concerns, how should fans interpret these results, and what does it mean for trust in the sport? Topics covered: The historic men’s race and the first official sub-2 marathon Women’s podium and the women’s-only world record The super-shoe arms race in elite marathoning Doping controversies in Kenyan athletics and the impact on the sport