Sabastian Sawe shattered the marathon world record in London on Sunday, finishing in one hour, 59 minutes and 30 seconds. The 31-year-old Kenyan became the first person to run an official marathon in under two hours, beating Kelvin Kiptum's previous mark of 2:00.35 by 65 seconds.
Sawe's time is the fastest ever recorded over the 26.2-mile distance, surpassing even Eliud Kipchoge's unofficial 1:59:40 set in 2019 with the aid of pacemakers and a pacing car. Two other runners also dipped under Kiptum's old record: Ethiopia's Yomif Kejelcha (1:59:41) and Uganda's Jacob Kiplimo (2:00:28).
Sawe, who grew up in a remote Kenyan village with mud walls and no electricity, was encouraged to run by a teacher who told him it was his fortune and future. He joined the 2Running group under Italian coach Claudio Berardelli in his mid-20s and has since become known as the 'silent assassin'.
His victory earned him more than $1m (£740,000) in prize money, appearance fees and bonuses. Sponsors Adidas have paid $50,000 for extra doping tests to demonstrate his clean record. Sawe said: 'I am feeling good, I am so happy. It is a day to remember. I have shown that nothing is not possible.'
