Sabastian Sawe
Sawe running the 2025 Berlin Marathon
Personal information
Full name Sabastian Kimaru Sawe
Born (1995-03-16) 16 March 1995 (age 31)[1]
Barsombe, Kenya
Sport
Sport Athletics
Event
Long-distance running
Team Adidas
Medal record
Men's athletics
Representing  Kenya
World Road Running Championships
Gold medal – first place 2023 Riga Half-marathon
World Cross Country Championships
Gold medal – first place 2023 Bathurst Senior team
World Marathon Majors
Gold medal – first place 2025 Berlin Marathon
Gold medal – first place 2025 London Marathon
Gold medal – first place 2026 London Marathon

Sabastian Kimaru Sawe (born 16 March 1995) is a Kenyan long-distance runner who holds the world record in the marathon. Sawe made his debut at the 2024 Valencia Marathon, winning in 2:02:05. At the 2026 London Marathon, he became the first person to run a sub-two-hour marathon in a record-eligible race, setting a world record of 1:59:30. He is nicknamed "The Silent Assassin".[2]

Early life and background

Sawe is from a small village of Mutwot – Ndonyongaria in the Rift Valley Province of Kenya (today in Uasin Gishu County) to a father who worked as a maize farmer.[3][4] He was primarily raised by his grandmother.[4] Sawe grew up in a house without electricity.[5] He attended St Patrick’s High School in Iten. He is married and has a son.[3]

Career

Sawe's uncle Abraham Chepkirwok was national record holder in Uganda over 800m and Sawe himself ran over the middle-distances initially, and only ran 5000 metres for the first time in 2019 in serendipitous circumstances having arrived late for an athletics meet; with that distance the only race available. He won it in 13:56. Through his uncle’s contacts he began to train with Abel Mutai, a former peer of Chepkirwok and an assistant coach at the 2Running Club, based in Nandi County and founded by Claudio Berardelli. However, in March 2020 he ruptured a tendon and his race time became limited and later he missed his international debut: pacing teammate Amos Kipruto at the 2020 Valencia Marathon after he failed a Covid test.[3]

Breakthrough

In January 2022, Sawe finished his first half marathon in Seville in 59:02, despite initially starting the race as a pacemaker.[3] In March 2022, Sawe set a course record at the Rome-Ostia Half Marathon in a time of 58:02 (a non-record eligible course).[6] He set a then half marathon best of 58:58 from his win at the 2022 Bahrain Royal Night Half Marathon.[7]

In September 2022, he set a Kenyan national record in the one hour run at the Memorial Van Damme with a distance of 21,250 metres, narrowly missing the world record.[8] Sawe finished seventh in the senior men's race at the 2023 World Cross Country Championships.[9][10] In December 2023, he won the 15 kilometres road race Montferland Run held in 's-Heerenberg in the Netherlands with a time of 42:35.[11] In September 2024, Sawe won the Copenhagen Half Marathon in a new personal best of 58:05.[12] On 1 December 2024, he won the Valencia Marathon in a world-leading time of 2:02:05.[13] On 27 April 2025, Sawe won the London Marathon in a leading time of 2:02:27.[14]

This was followed in September 2025 with a win at the Berlin Marathon, with a time of 2:02:16.[15] In response to doping violations from other Kenyan athletes, Sawe underwent an unprecedented 25 out-of-competition drug tests from the AIU to combat suspicions of doping in the buildup to winning the Berlin Marathon.[16]

London Marathon world record

On 26 April 2026, Sawe became the first person to complete a competitive marathon in under two hours when he won the London Marathon in 1:59:30.[17] A previous sub-two-hour run by Eliud Kipchoge in the Ineos 1:59 Challenge in 2019 was not recognised as a valid record as it was not achieved under race conditions.[18] Sawe's run was also ten seconds faster than Kipchoge's and 65 seconds faster than the previous official record held by Kelvin Kiptum.[19] Sawe's former personal best was set in his debut Marathon in Valencia in 2024 with a time of 2:02:05.[20]

The women's former world record holder Paula Radcliffe stated: "We've witnessed history being made, but it is more than that. It is an iconic barrier that there has been this discussion over for a long time about whether it is even possible."[4] Former world record holder and twice Olympic champion in the men's Marathon Eliud Kipchoge of Kenya stated: "My deepest congratulations to both Sabastian Sawe and Yomif Kejelcha. Breaking the sub-two-hour barrier in the marathon has long been a dream for runners everywhere, and today you've made that dream come true."[4]

The race saw 800,000 spectators. The last time a men's world record was set in London was in 2002. Kelvin Kiptum formerly set the course record with 2:01:25. In preparation for the race, Sawe ran on average 200 km a week in the 6 weeks leading up to the run. His distance trained peaked at 241km a week. Sawe's running shoes for this race were a new lightweight model of super shoe – the Pro Evo 3 from Adidas which weigh just 97 grams (3.4 oz) on average.[21] The prize money for Sawe's win was £740,000.

Achievements

Marathons
  • 1st place, 2024 Valencia Marathon – 2:02:05[22]
  • 1st place, 2025 London Marathon – 2:02:27[23]
  • 1st place, 2025 Berlin Marathon – 2:02:16[15]
  • 1st place, 2026 London Marathon – 1:59:30[24]
Personal bests[1]
  • 10,000 metres – 27:09.46 (Maia 2022)
  • 15,000 metres – 41:51.64 (Brussels 2022) WB
  • 20,000 metres – 56:20.55 (Brussels 2022) AB
  • One hour run – 21,250 metres (Brussels 2022) NR
  • 10K run – 26:49 (Herzogenaurach 2023), 5th fastest athlete of all time
  • 15K run – 42:35 ('s-Heerenberg 2023)
  • Half marathon – 58:05 (Copenhagen 2024)
  • Marathon – 1:59:30 (London 2026) WR
Circuit wins
  • Diamond League
    • 2022: Brussels Memorial Van Damme (One hour run)[1]

References

  1. ^ a b c "Sebastian Sawe datafile". World Athletics. Retrieved 26 April 2026.
  2. ^ Ingle, Sean. "'silent assassin' Sabastian Sawe targets world record with supershoe in London Marathon". The Giardian. Retrieved 28 April 2026.
  3. ^ a b c d Tanser, Toby (26 April 2026). "'He has no fear.' The phenomenal rise of Sabastian Sawe – the man who ran the first official sub-2 marathon". Runner's World. Retrieved 27 April 2026.
  4. ^ a b c d Poole, Harry (27 April 2026). "Sabastian Sawe: How Kenyan broke two-hour barrier to make history at London Marathon". BBC Sport. Retrieved 27 April 2026.
  5. ^ Ingle, Sean; Mall, Sean Ingle on the (26 April 2026). "Sabastian Sawe breaks two-hour barrier to make history in London Marathon". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 27 April 2026.
  6. ^ "Mokoka breaks world 50km record with 2:40:13 in Gqeberha". World Athletics. Retrieved 21 February 2023.
  7. ^ "Sawe, Tigist triumph in half-marathon". Daily Tribune. 24 December 2022. Retrieved 20 February 2023.
  8. ^ "Krop, Mahuchikh and Winger bounce back in Brussels with world-leading marks". World Athletics. Retrieved 20 February 2023.
  9. ^ "Jacob Kiplimo cruises to World Cross gold in Bathurst". AW. 18 February 2023. Retrieved 20 February 2023.
  10. ^ "Senior Race | Bathurst 23". World Athletics. Retrieved 20 February 2023.
  11. ^ "Pfixx Solar Montferland Run, Heerenburg". World Athletics. Retrieved 26 April 2026.
  12. ^ "Copenhagen Half Marathon 2024". World Athletics. Retrieved 26 April 2026.
  13. ^ "Valencia Marathon 2024: All top results and times – full list". Olympics.com.
  14. ^ "Assefa sets world record, Sawe destroys elite field in London Marathon". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 27 April 2025.
  15. ^ a b "Sebastian Sawe 2024 results". World Athletics. Retrieved 26 April 2026.
  16. ^ LetsRun.com (14 April 2026). "How Kenyan Star Sabastian Sawe Is Trying to Save the Marathon's Reputation". LetsRun.com. Retrieved 19 April 2026.
  17. ^ Poole, Harry (26 April 2026). "Sawe smashes two-hour mark to 'move goalposts for marathon running'". BBC Sport. BBC. Retrieved 26 April 2026.
  18. ^ Bisceglio, Paul (13 October 2019). "The Greatest, Fakest World Record". The Atlantic.
  19. ^ "Sabastian Sawe becomes first person to break two-hour marathon mark in record-setting London Marathon win". RTE. 26 April 2026.
  20. ^ "The Amazing Stats Behind Sabastian Sawe's Incredible 1:59:30 Marathon World Record". Runner's World. 26 April 2026. Retrieved 27 April 2026.
  21. ^ Cheung, Adam. "Meet the £450 super shoe Sabastian Sawe just won the 2026 London Marathon in". British GQ. Retrieved 27 April 2026.
  22. ^ "Sebastian Sawe 2024 results". World Athletics. Retrieved 26 April 2026.
  23. ^ "Results 2025". London Marathon. 27 April 2025. Retrieved 26 April 2026.
  24. ^ Press, The Associated (26 April 2026). "Kenya's Sabastian Sawe is first person to run sub-2-hour marathon to win in London". NPR. Retrieved 27 April 2026.
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