Which runner became the first man to break 2:03 in a marathon?

Dennis Kimetto became the first man to break 2:03 in a marathon.

The Kenyan ran 2:02:57 at the 2014 Berlin Marathon, lowering the world record by 26 seconds. His performance made him the first athlete to finish a standard marathon in under two hours and three minutes in officially recognised competition.

Kimetto’s record was part of a rapid sequence of improvements on the exceptionally fast Berlin course. Wilson Kipsang had set the previous record there in 2013, and Eliud Kipchoge later surpassed Kimetto’s mark at Berlin in 2018.

The achievement should not be confused with a sub-two-hour marathon. Kimetto’s 2:02:57 was an official race result under standard competition conditions, while later sub-two-hour attempts involved special pacing and other controlled arrangements. The official men’s record subsequently moved below 2:01, but Kimetto remains the first sub-2:03 finisher.