Sabastian Sawe shattered the two-hour marathon barrier on Sunday, running 1:59:30 at the London Marathon to claim the fastest official marathon time in history. The 31-year-old Kenyan’s feat was immediately compared to Roger Bannister’s sub-four-minute mile and Usain Bolt’s 100m world record, as he became the first person to run an official marathon under two hours.
Sawe’s time was 65 seconds faster than Kelvin Kiptum’s previous world record of 2:00:35, set in Chicago last year. Incredibly, two other runners also dipped under Kiptum’s old mark: Ethiopia’s Yomif Kejelcha (1:59:41) and Uganda’s Jacob Kiplimo (2:00:28). Kejelcha was running his debut marathon.
The race unfolded with a measured first half of 60:29, but Sawe accelerated dramatically after 30km, covering the next 5km in 13:54 and the following 5km in 13:42 – faster than the parkrun world record. He ran the second half in just over 59 minutes. “I am feeling good, I am so happy,” Sawe said. “It is a day to remember. I have shown that nothing is not possible.”
Kejelcha, who faded after 41km, said: “My body is all great. At exactly 41 kilometres, my body stopped. I tried to push, but my legs were done.” Sawe’s time also beat Eliud Kipchoge’s unofficial 1:59:40 from 2019, which was not ratified due to the use of pacemakers and a pacing car.
Sawe’s journey is as remarkable as his record. He grew up in a remote Kenyan village with mud walls and no electricity, and was so shy he would hide before races. A teacher, Julius Kemei, forced him to compete, telling him: “Running is not just talent, it’s your fortune, and your future.” He joined coach Claudio Berardelli’s 2Running group in his mid-20s and began to excel. Berardelli said: “What happened today is 90% of Sabastian.”
Questions about doping have followed Kenyan athletics, but Sawe’s sponsors, Adidas, have paid the Athletics Integrity Unit $50,000 for frequent testing this year to demonstrate his cleanliness. Sawe also earned over $1m (£740,000) in prize money, appearance fees and bonuses from his victory and world record.
