The Yomif Kejelcha marathon file is only one race long, but that race changed the conversation about the distance. On 26 April 2026 in London he finished second in 1:59:41 on his debut, the fastest first marathon in history, which made him only the second man ever to run under two hours in an official marathon.
Before London, Kejelcha had spent more than a decade on the track and the roads: two world indoor titles, two world 10,000m silver medals and road world records at 10 km and the half marathon. His full biography is on the main Yomif Kejelcha page; here we focus on the marathon – the debut, the context and the next start, as of 22 October 2026.
Yomif Kejelcha marathon debut: London, 26 April 2026
Kejelcha chose the TCS London Marathon, one of the Abbott World Marathon Majors, for his first race over 42.195 km. On 26 April 2026 he finished second in 1:59:41, eleven seconds behind the winner. No athlete had ever run a faster debut, and the time became the Ethiopian record.
The only faster marathon ever run, as of 22 October 2026, is the 1:59:30 with which Sabastian Sawe won that same race. In other words, the two fastest times in the history of the event were set side by side on the streets of London on 26 April 2026.
His marathon time in context
A finish of 1:59:41 works out at an average of about 2:50 per kilometre, or two back-to-back halves of roughly 59:50. At the time of the race his half marathon best was the 57:30 he ran in Valencia on 27 October 2024, so he held a pace only about 2 minutes 20 seconds per half slower than his best for half the distance. Our source data contains only official finish times, so we do not quote intermediate splits.
Yomif Kejelcha and Sabastian Sawe
The winner in London on 26 April 2026 was Sabastian Sawe in 1:59:30. Kejelcha crossed the line 11 seconds later. In the World Athletics men's marathon ranking Kejelcha reached a best of No. 4 (held for seven weeks) and stood at No. 5 as of 22 October 2026.
Every marathon so far
| Date | Race | City | Place | Time | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 26 Apr 2026 | TCS London Marathon | London | 2 | 1:59:41 | Debut; Ethiopian record as of 22 Oct 2026 |
| 6 Dec 2026 | Valencia Marathon | Valencia | – | – | Entry confirmed by organisers on 2 Jul 2026 |
From the half marathon to the full distance
The move to 42 km did not come out of nowhere. Kejelcha won the Valencia Half Marathon three times: in 59:05 on 27 October 2019, in 57:30 on 27 October 2024 (a world record at the time) and in 58:02 on 26 October 2025. On 16 February 2025 in Castellón he ran 26:31 for 10 km, the road world record as of 22 October 2026.
Four months after London he showed that the marathon had not blunted his speed. On 23 August 2026 he won the Buenos Aires half marathon in 56:51, a time that World Athletics lists as a world record pending ratification. How each of these marks was set, and which of them are ratified, is explained on the Yomif Kejelcha record page.
| Date | Race | Distance | Place | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 27 Oct 2019 | Valencia Half Marathon | Half marathon | 1 | 59:05 |
| 27 Oct 2024 | Valencia Half Marathon | Half marathon | 1 | 57:30 |
| 16 Feb 2025 | 10K Castellón | 10 km | 1 | 26:31 |
| 26 Oct 2025 | Valencia Half Marathon | Half marathon | 1 | 58:02 |
| 23 Aug 2026 | Buenos Aires Half Marathon | Half marathon | 1 | 56:51 |
Valencia, 6 December 2026: the second marathon
As of 22 October 2026, Kejelcha's next marathon is the Valencia Marathon Trinidad Alfonso on 6 December 2026, a World Athletics Platinum Label race. The organisers announced on 2 July 2026 that his participation was confirmed, which makes it the second marathon of his career, in a city where he has won the half marathon three times.
The rivals named in that announcement included defending champion John Korir, Alexander Mutiso and Dawit Wolde. The same announcement put Fotyen Tesfay at the head of the women's field. Elite fields often change in the final weeks, so treat the line-up as provisional and check the official Valencia Marathon website before race day. No marathon after Valencia had been announced for him as of 22 October 2026.
Where to watch the Valencia Marathon from Ethiopia
The Valencia organisers stream the elite race live on their own site with Spanish and English commentary. For the 2025 edition the regional broadcaster A Punt was listed as a free worldwide stream, while StarTimes and SuperSport carried the race in Ethiopia on pay-TV. The broadcaster list for 6 December 2026 had not been published as of 22 October 2026, so the channels below are the best guide we have.
Official rights holders only, checked 22 October 2026. Rights change by event and season – check the broadcaster’s schedule before a race. We do not link to unofficial streams.
For the rest of his career, from the junior titles to the 2026 season, go back to the main Kejelcha page; other runners and the race calendar are on our Ethiopian athletes hub.
Yomif Kejelcha marathon FAQ
When was Yomif Kejelcha's first marathon?
His first marathon was the London Marathon on 26 April 2026, where he finished second.
What is Yomif Kejelcha's marathon time?
His best and only marathon time is 1:59:41 from London on 26 April 2026, the fastest debut in history and the Ethiopian record as of 22 October 2026.
Who won – Yomif Kejelcha or Sabastian Sawe?
Sabastian Sawe won the London Marathon on 26 April 2026 in 1:59:30; Kejelcha was second, 11 seconds behind.
Is Kejelcha running the Valencia Marathon in 2026?
Yes, as of 22 October 2026: the organisers confirmed his entry on 2 July 2026 for the race on 6 December 2026. The final start list may still change.