Jacob Kiplimo, 2020 Half Marathon World Champ, made headlines as robots outpaced humans in Beijing marathon—showing tech’s surprising edge.
A humanoid robot developed by Chinese smartphone maker Honor has completed a 13-mile half-marathon in 50 minutes and 26 seconds, surpassing the human world record of 57 minutes and 20 seconds. The event in Beijing has seen rapid progress from last year, with over 100 robots competing and many running faster than professional athletes.
Kenyan Sabastian Sawe has become the first man to run an officially sanctioned marathon under two hours, winning the London Marathon in 1:59:30 on 26 April 2026. Ethiopia's Yomif Kejelcha has finished second in 1:59:41 and Uganda's Jacob Kiplimo has taken third in 2:00:28. Tigst Assefa has defended her title and set a women-only world record (2:15:41).
Kenya's Sabastian Sawe has become the first man to run a competitive marathon in under two hours, finishing the 2026 London Marathon in 1:59:30. Yomif Kejelcha has also run under two hours. The performance has reshaped the world record, triggered national celebration in Kenya and prompted discussion about shoes, pacing and testing.