World Athletics Ratifies Eight World Records, Sawe Sub-2

World Athletics officially ratified seven senior world records and one world U20 record from the first five months of 2026, highlighted by Sabastian Sawe becoming the first man to run a legal, record-eligible sub-two-hour marathon with a 1:59:30 at the London Marathon. Ethiopia's Tigst Assefa also had her women-only marathon record of 2:15:41 ratified, while Yomif Kejelcha and Jacob Kiplimo each broke two hours in the same race, finishing just behind Sawe. In the same wave of ratifications, Swiss athlete Simon Ehammer reclaimed the world indoor heptathlon title with 6,670 points and Devynne Charlton defended her 60m hurdles title in 7.65 seconds, matching a world indoor record. Additionally, Mondo Duplantis extended his own pole vault world record to 6.31 meters, underscoring a broad set of breakthroughs across track and field disciplines. The ratifications distinguish Sawe’s performance as a genuine record on a standard course, not an exhibition, and confirm the London Marathon as the official stage for these historic marks alongside multiple other world records from the period. These developments come amid ongoing discussions about the legitimacy of certain sub-two-hour attempts and the importance of course and competition rules for official records.