ATHLETICS: London Marathon breaks record for largest number of finishers

The London Marathon set a new Guinness World Record for the most finishers ever, with nearly 60,000 runners completing the race. The event also saw historic performances, including multiple sub-two-hour finishes and a new women’s record.

Reuters

April 27, 2026

Athletics - London Marathon - London, Britain - April 26, 2026 Ethiopia's Tigst Assefa celebrates with an Adidas Adizero Adios Pro Evo 3 shoe after winning the women's elite race

Matthew Childs/Reuters

The London Marathon broke the record for the highest number of finishers in a marathon, with 59,830 participants completing the course to surpass the mark of 59,226 at last year's New York City event.

Kenya's Sabastian Sawe shattered the world record to become the first man to run the marathon in under two hours, followed by Ethiopia's Yomif Kejelcha, who also breached the two-hour barrier on Sunday.

"To then break the record of the largest number of finishers in the history of marathons underlines the inspirational nature of the London Marathon. We are incredibly proud to have set a new Guinness World Record," said Hugh Brasher, CEO of London Marathon Events.

In the women's race, three women ran under two hours and 16 minutes in a single race for the first time ever, as Ethiopia's Tigst Assefa defended her title by shattering her own women's-only world record.

-Reporting by Paras J. Haji in Bengaluru, editing by Ed Osmond/Reuters