Sabastian Sawe

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.

Early life and background

Sawe was born in the village of Barsombe in the Rift Valley Province of Kenya (today in Uasin Gishu County) to a father who worked as a maize farmer.^[1][2] He was primarily raised by his grandmother.^[2] Sawe grew up in a house "with mud walls and no electricity."^[3] He attended St Patrick's High School in Iten. He is married and has a son.^[1] He was raised as a Catholic and continues to practice the religion.^[4]

Career

Sawe's uncle Abraham Chepkirwok was the national record holder in Uganda over 800m.^[2] Sawe himself initially ran middle-distances, only attempting the 5000 metres for the first time in 2019 under serendipitous circumstances: having arrived late to an athletics meet, it was the only race still available. He won it in 13:56. Through his uncle's contacts, he began training 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. In March 2020, however, he ruptured a tendon, limiting his racing, and later missed his international debut — pacing teammate Amos Kipruto at the 2020 Valencia Marathon — after testing positive for COVID-19.^[5]

Breakthrough

In January 2022, Sawe finished his first half marathon in Seville in 59:02, despite initially starting the race as a pacemaker.^[1] He won the run and improved on the previous course record of 1:00:44. His time was the sixth fastest half marathon time ever.^[6] 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).^[7] He set a then half marathon best of 58:58 from his win at the 2022 Bahrain Royal Night Half Marathon.^[8]

In September 2022, Sawe 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.^[9] Sawe finished seventh in the senior men's race at the 2023 World Cross Country Championships.^[10][11] 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.^[12] In September 2024, Sawe won the Copenhagen Half Marathon in a new personal best of 58:05.^[13]

2024 Valencia Marathon debut

On 1 December 2024, he won the Valencia Marathon in a world-leading time of 2:02:05.^[14] Sawe's mark was the 5th-fastest marathon ever run at the time, although still slower than the course record of 2:01:48 set by Sisay Lemma in the previous year.^[15] Sawe's time was the second-fastest marathon debut in history, 12 seconds slower than Kelvin Kiptum.^[15] His mark stood as the fastest marathon time run in 2024.

On 27 April 2025, Sawe won the London Marathon in a world-leading time of 2:02:27.^[16] This was followed in September 2025 with a win at the Berlin Marathon, where he lowered the world-leading time of the year to 2:02:16.^[17] Sawe was following a group of 7 pacemakers, with the last one dropping out at the 23k mark.^[18][19] In response to doping violations from other Kenyan athletes, Sawe had undergone an unprecedented 25 out-of-competition drug tests from the AIU to combat suspicions of doping in his buildup to Berlin.^[20]

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 a world-record time of 1:59:30.^[21][22] 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.^[23] Sawe's run was ten seconds faster than Kipchoge's and 65 seconds faster than the previous official record held by Kelvin Kiptum.^[24] Sawe's former personal best was set in his debut marathon in Valencia in 2024 with a time of 2:02:05.^[25] In his first marathon, Yomif Kejelcha of Ethopia finished second behind Sawe in a time of 1:59:41.^[26]

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."^[2] Kipchoge 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."^[2]

The race saw 800,000 spectators. The last time a men's world record was set in London was in 2002. Kelvin Kiptum had formerly set the course record with 2:01:25. Sawe ran an average of 200 km a week in the 6 weeks leading up to the run. Sawe's race shoes were a lightweight model of super shoe, the Pro Evo 3 from Adidas.^[27] The prize money for Sawe's win was £740,000.^[28]

^[30]

Achievements

International competitions

Source: ^[31]

• 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 – 58:02 (Rome 2022) (not legal)
• Half marathon – 58:05 (Copenhagen 2024)
• Marathon – 1:59:30 (London 2026) WR

• Diamond League