Breaking Barriers

Performance Communications | April 27, 2026

It’s not often you stop and stand in awe of sporting achievement, but Sunday morning’s London Marathon stopped me in my tracks.

The sub two-hour barrier for a marathon was never meant to be beaten in competition across 26.2 miles. While Red Bull and INEOS’ 2019 event showed it could be done in controlled conditions, how could it be done within the twists and turns of race conditions? And certainly not during the London Marathon.

When Sebastian Sawe crossed the line in 1 hour 59 minutes and 30 seconds, he obliterated the two-hour mark and the old world record by 65 seconds and left commentator Steve Cram almost lost for words. And spare a thought for Yomif Kejelcha on his marathon debut, finishing second and breaking the two-hour barrier too, what’s your luck?

Sunday’s achievements showcased the true power of sport. While marathon running might not offer the glamour of other more popular sports, yesterday provided a worldwide sporting moment to put marathon running, the London Marathon and Sebastian’s Adidas running shoes front and centre of the global sporting news.

What’s next? There will be more of an intense focus on marathon running as we build up to LA28. Adidas will certainly make hay with their Adios Pro Evo 3 running shoes, available for £450 if you’re interested, and Nike will want to counter fast. Fair play to them for congratulating Sebastian on his achievement – “The clock has been reset. There is no finish line”.

Ultimately, this moment WILL draw more to running, whether that be sponsors looking for a space in the spotlight or general day-to-day runners. I’ll be back to my 26.2 running club again tonight for my weekly Monday five miles, but I fully expect to see more new members. I’m not sure this will actually inspire me to step up from a half to a full marathon, but if not me, then I’m sure it will for many others. The London Marathon’s plans for a two-day event next year to meet demand can’t come quickly enough.

Seph

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