Sawe shatters the two-hour marathon barrier
Sabastian Sawe became the first man to break the two-hour marathon barrier in an official race, winning the London Marathon in 1:59:30. The 31-year-old Kenyan ran in the Adidas Adizero Adios Pro Evo 3, a 97-gramme shoe, and erased the previous world record of 2:00.35 set by the late Kelvin Kiptum in 2023. Sawe dismissed talk that the equipment amounted to "mechanical doping". "Absolutely no, because the shoe was approved," he said. "And I think there were no doubt about it. So I have no doubt about it." Almost lost in Sawe's victory was Ethiopia's Yomif Kejelcha, who finished second in 1:59:41 on his marathon debut — a barrier once believed unbreakable that fell twice in 11 seconds.
Assefa lowers the women's-only mark
Tigst Assefa retained her London Marathon title by breaking her own women's-only world record, set without male pacemakers, with 2:15.41 in the same Adidas model Sawe wore. "For the future, I would love to get the all-time world record for women's marathon," Assefa said. The same report referenced Kenyan Ruth Chepng'etich's 2:09.56 mixed-race world record set in Chicago in 2024, noting that Chepng'etich received a three-year doping ban in October 2025 while results pre-dating her March 2025 sample still stand.
Fresh scrutiny on the super-shoe era
Sawe's run intensified debate over carbon-plated racing shoes. Independent studies cited in the report put running-economy gains at 2 to 4 percent — modest on paper but decisive over 42.195 kilometres. World Athletics attempted to regulate the technology in 2020, capping sole thickness and limiting plates rather than imposing an outright ban. Defenders cite a long arc of innovation from cinder tracks to synthetic surfaces; critics argue the newest shoes store and return energy so aggressively that comparisons across eras are increasingly difficult.
Anum Uzair wins Pakistan's first 100km Galiyat Mountain Trail Ultra
Pakistani mountaineer and trail runner Anum Uzair completed the country's inaugural 100-kilometre Galiyat Mountain Trail Ultra Marathon, according to a report published July 26, 2026. The course traverses rugged mountains and dense forest, with documented risks of lightning, snowstorms and wildlife. Uzair told Geo News she once spotted a leopard "about 200 feet ahead on the track" during a 40-kilometre practice run, an encounter she said helped her become "fearless". She dedicated the win to Pakistani women runners and committed to taking on more global endurance events.
Idaho Falls Marathon marks 20 years in the heat
The Idaho Falls Marathon hosted its 20th annual event on a hot day in Eastern Idaho, offering full marathon, half marathon and 5K distances over a flat course. Race director Chris Carney emphasised accessibility across distances: "We have a half marathon... half marathon is a great, great distance. You can generally come and run that without, you know, killing yourself." He added: "Bringing the running community together. Everybody thinks they're fast. Everybody thinks they're tough... But when you bring them out here on race day, and you blow the horn and say, go, it is put up or shut up. So you can test your mettle." Aid stations staffed by volunteers — including members of the Skyline High School cross-country team — supplied water and electrolytes to runners managing the heat.
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