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Kenya's Sabastian Sawe has made history in London as the first man to run a marathon in under two hours. He beat the world record by more than a minute.

Kenya's Sabastian Sawe has become the first person to run a marathon in under two hours. The 31-year-old set the milestone by winning the London Marathon in 1 hour, 59 minutes and 30 seconds on Sunday, breaking the previous record. The time for the 26.2 miles (42.2km) distance was 65 seconds faster than the mark set by fellow Kenyan Kelvin Kiptum in Chicago in 2023.

It was also 10 seconds quicker than Eliud Kipchoge's time from 2019 in Vienna. That finish was not recognized as an official record because it was not in open competition and the Kenyan was assisted by pacemakers.  "I think I’ve made history today in London, and for the new generation (it shows) to run a record is possible," said Sawe.

Sawe keen to prove he is running clean

"It depends on the preparation you had and the discipline you had, so for me I think I have shown them that nothing is impossible." Sawe has made it his mission to prove that he's running without performance-enhancing drugs and approached the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) to volunteer him for a strict regime of extra drug tests, all unannounced. He has passed them all. The man who finished 11 seconds behind Sawe in second place, Yomif Kejelcha, said such action was inspirational.  "It’s very important for clean sport," he said. "Maybe I, for the future, will do the same thing. I think it’s a great idea," the Ethiopian said.

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Another record set in women's race

There was also record-breaking performance in the women's race, where Ethiopia's Tigst Assefa defended her title in 2 hours 15 minutes and 41 seconds — the fastest time ever in a women’s-only race. Assefa had pulled ahead in the final 500 meters. "I’ve been working on my speed, and today I showed how fast I could finish, and that’s why today was a very special win for me," Assefa said.

"When I finished the race and found out Sabastian had broken the world record and gone under two hours I was so, so happy for him. "To break world records requires a lot of work, and I want to congratulate him on his wonderful achievement." The mark was 16 seconds slower than the overall course record set by Briton Paula Radcliffe in 2003 in a mixed race.

In the wheelchair events, Switzerland secured a double as Marcel Hug claimed a sixth straight men's title and eighth overall, while Catherine Debrunner edged out Tatyana McFadden to retain the women's crown.

Author: Richard Connor with AFP, dpa

Edited by Sean Sinico

Permalink - https://p.dw.com/p/5CqQt

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World Cup 2026: Fans to pay $150 for train ticket to stadium

Transportation costs for World Cup fans traveling to US stadiums could be more than 10 times higher than regular fares. Local officials and FIFA bosses are trading blame for the increased prices while fans feel fleeced.

Football fans trying to get to MetLife Stadium from New York City for the World Cup matches this summer will have to pay $150 (€127) for a round-trip, according to local transportation officials. The price is almost 12 times higher than the usual $12.90 fare for the 15-minute trip from Penn Station in Manhattan to the stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. "We are going to charge $150 for our roundtrip ticket on our system. So from New York to MetLife, MetLife back to New York," said Kris Kolluri, the president and CEO of NJ Transit.

NJ Transit officials said they planned to spend $62 million on transportation for fans traveling to and from the stadium during the tournament. However, only $14 million of those anticipated expenses had been defrayed by outside grants. A fare increase was needed to cover the rest, according to Kolluri. "This isn't price gouging," he told reporters. "We're literally trying to recoup our costs." Driving to the stadium will be even more expensive. According to the Just Park site, limited parking options will be available at the stadium for fans with disabilities and at an adjacent mall for other supporters. Prices start at $225 per parking space.

US politicians and FIFA trade blame

New Jersey's recently sworn-in governor, Mikie Sherrill, defended the state transit organization's policies on X, saying that "FIFA put zero dollars towards transporting World Cup fans." She called on the international football's governing body to cover the transportation costs. "If it won't, we will not be subsidizing World Cup ticket holders on the backs of New Jerseyans who rely on NJ TRANSIT every day," Sherrill said in a statement. On Tuesday, as initial reports emerged, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer also wrote on social media that FIFA should foot the bill for transport costs to World Cup venues. 

However, FIFA's World Cup chief operating officer Heimo Schirgi said the move to "arbitrarily set elevated prices and demand FIFA absorb these costs is unprecedented." FIFA also pointed out that other US host cities, including Los Angeles, Dallas, and Houston, are maintaining their transit rates. Boston is one notable exception. Officials announced this week that express buses from various locations to Gillette Stadium, home of the NFL's New England Patriots, will cost $95.

Fans call World Cup prices 'insane' and 'astronomical'

The MetLife Stadium will host eight World Cup matches, including the final on July 19. The group stage matches will include teams from football powerhouses Brazil, France, Germany, and England. A French "Irresistibles Francais" fan organization called the train ticket pricing "completely insane." "Every day there's bad news about transportation,"  said Guillaume Aupretre, a spokesman for the group. "You really have to wonder how far this madness is going to go."

Meanwhile, England's Football Supporters' Association (FSA) chief Thomas Concannon told the BBC "Every single thing coming out of this tournament so far is just fans getting fleeced." "The price is obviously astronomical in terms of what you would expect to pay going to a match," he said. "We weren't expecting to be gouged." Earlier, fan organizations expressed outrage over the exorbitant price of World Cup match tickets.

Author: Dmytro Hubenko with AP, AFP, SID

Edited by: Sean Sinico

Permalink - https://p.dw.com/p/5CPU3