The men’s marathon world record is 2:00:35, but will that time be broken in 2025 and who is most likely to break the men’s marathon world record?
KELVIN KIPTUM’S MARATHON WORLD RECORD
Kenya’s Kelvin Kiptum ran his astonishing 2:00:35 world record at the 2023 Chicago Marathon, taking more than 30 seconds off Eliud Kipchoge’s previous record of 2:01:09 set at the 2022 Berlin Marathon.
Tragically, Kiptum was killed in a car accident four months later but his record remains and as of September 2025, he has run three of the top ten fastest marathons. He was the man many thought could be the first to officially run a sub-two hour marathon.
But now there are some exciting runners hoping to break the marathon record.
WILL SABASTIAN SAWE BREAK THE MARATHON WORLD RECORD IN BERLIN?
Kenya’s Sabastian Sawe is the fifth-fastest man of all time over the marathon distance. He ran his personal best of 2:02:05 at the 2024 Valencia Marathon – it was his first marathon, and only 12 seconds slower than the record for fastest debut marathon (held by Kiptum).
Sawe then won the 2025 London Marathon in 2:02:27, shattering the elite pack with a 13:56 5km split in the latter stages of the race. He ran negative splits in both Valencia and London, and can finish races strong.
Sawe is running the 2025 Berlin Marathon on Sunday 21 September and is expecting to run a fast time. But will it be world record-breaking fast?
Sawe has also launched and committed to voluntary anti-doping protocols to routinely test his blood (25 times in the past few months) and to prove his performances are legal.
WILL JOHN KORIR OR JACOB KIPLIMO BREAK THE MARATHON WORLD RECORD IN CHICAGO?
The 2025 Chicago Marathon takes place three weeks after the Berlin Marathon and two men in particular may be battling for fast times.
Kenya’s John Korir won the 2024 Chicago Marathon in 2:02:44, making him the eighth-fastest of all time, and the second-fastest in Chicago after Kiptum’s world record. He followed that up by winning the 2025 Boston Marathon in 2:04:45, the third-fastest time on the course.
After Boston Korir was direct in his goal: “What’s next for me is trying to break the world record in Chicago in October. Now we are going to sit down and plan our tactics and see what we can do to break the world record,” he said, adding in another interview: “It’s not scary because I know I’m capable of it, so it’s just to make a good strategy and work on it and make it happen.”
Also running the 2025 Chicago Marathon is Uganda’s Jacob Kiplimo. The half marathon world record holder (56:42) finished second in the 2025 London Marathon on his marathon debut, running 2:03:37. Based on his half marathon time he’s widely thought of as a runner who could challenge the world record, and the two hour barrier.
FAQ ON THE MEN’S MARATHON WORLD RECORD?
Eliud Kipchoge’s fastest official marathon is 2:01:09 which he ran at the 2022 Berlin Marathon. He was the first man to run a marathon distance in under two hours (1:59:40) as part of a time trial exhibition but it does not count as an official record.
Both the men’s and women’s marathon world records were run in the Chicago Marathon. The second-fastest men’s and women’s marathons were both run in the Berlin Marathon. Berlin and Chicago are widely believed to be the fastest, but the Valencia Marathon is also a very fast course and six of the top 20 men’s marathon times were run in Valencia.
To run a marathon in 2:00:35 requires an average pace of 4:36 per mile or 2:51 per kilometer. That’s 14:15 per 5km. It’s incredibly fast!
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Image by B.A.A.
