There are now multiple sub-2 hour marathons. How has this happened. There are faster speeds from training, new shoes. Shorter races have shoes, clothing and track advancements. Also, multiple athletes are doing it. There used to be only ten runners able to go sub-10 second each year in the 100 meter but in the first half 2026 almost 50 athletes go sub-10. new record in the mile. Fastest are going faster. What is happening in the marathon. Also, all the top ten times were crazy in the london marathon.
The 2026 TCS London Marathon produced the first two official (record-eligible) sub-2-hour marathons ever, plus extraordinary depth across the top 10. Sabastian Sawe (Kenya) set the world record at 1:59:30, Yomif Kejelcha (Ethiopia) ran 1:59:41 on his marathon debut (also a national record and the fastest debut ever), and Jacob Kiplimo (Uganda) hit 2:00:28 (national record). The previous official world record was Kelvin Kiptum’s 2:00:35 from 2023. Even further down the list, times like Amos Kipruto’s 2:01:39 (PB), Tamirat Tola’s 2:02:59, and the rest of the top 10 (down to ~2:06) were exceptionally fast by historical standards.
Only these two men have broken 2 hours under official conditions so far (Eliud Kipchoge’s 1:59:40 was in the non-eligible 2019 Ineos Challenge). The fastest are going faster and more athletes are reaching elite thresholds.
In the mile run and in the marathon records, another crazy aspect were the split times. Consistent split times at very high speeds.
Super shoes (carbon-fiber plates + advanced foams) are the biggest single recent factor
These improve running economy by roughly 2.6 to 4.2% (less oxygen cost at a given pace), translating to meaningful time gains—often estimated at 1–3 minutes for elites in the marathon. Studies comparing pre- and post-super-shoe eras in World Marathon Majors show top-10 times improving ~1.7% for men (and more for women). The shoes also change pacing (athletes can push harder earlier) and aid recovery, so runners can handle higher training volumes/intensity with less residual fatigue. This effect compounds over a full season, not just race day.
Super Carbon Shoe Components B
Supercritical Foams are Bouncy PEBA-based materials heavily compress on impact and rebound dynamically to store and return energy.
Carbon-Fiber Plates are rigid internal plates act as a lever, stiffening the forefoot to reduce metabolic energy cost at the ankle and calf.
Rocker Geometry are an upward-curved sole pitches the runner forward to maintain smooth continuous momentum with every stride.
Training, recovery, and sports science advancesB
East African athletes (especially Kenyan and Ethiopian) continue to dominate through high-volume altitude training, but methods have refined further: better periodization, strength work, nutrition, sleep/recovery monitoring, and data-driven pacing. Super shoes enable harder sessions with faster recovery, accelerating improvement. Larger professional structures, prize money, and support systems mean more athletes train full-time at elite levels.
Depth of the talent pool and competition
More athletes worldwide are capable of near-record paces, creating faster races when the field is stacked (as in London). Pacemakers, optimized courses, and favorable conditions help, but the physiological ceiling is rising for the top group. Track-to-road transfers (like Kejelcha, a top 5k/10k/half-marathoner making a stunning debut) are also more successful.
Parallel tech in shorter events
Shorter races have new spike shoes, clothing (aero suits), track surfaces, and similar plate/foam tech have pushed sprints and middle distances. The mile record fell recently (Josh Kerr’s 3:42.66 in July 2026, breaking Hicham El Guerrouj’s long-standing mark). In the 100 meter, the sub-10 barrier—which was once rare (only a handful of athletes per year in earlier eras)—has become far more common. Around 47 different men had already gone under 10 seconds in the first half of 2026 alone, a record depth. 15 years ago maybe 5-10 men could go sub-10 in any year.
Brian Wang is a Futurist Thought Leader and a popular Science blogger with 1 million readers per month. His blog Nextbigfuture.com is ranked #1 Science News Blog. It covers many disruptive technology and trends including Space, Robotics, Artificial Intelligence, Medicine, Anti-aging Biotechnology, and Nanotechnology.
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