Sabastian Sawe shattered the two-hour marathon barrier on Sunday, crossing the finish line of the London Marathon in one hour, 59 minutes and 30 seconds. The 31-year-old Kenyan obliterated the previous world record of 2:00.35 set by Kelvin Kiptum, in a performance that has drawn comparisons to Sir Roger Bannister's sub-four-minute mile and Usain Bolt's 100m world record.
Sawe's victory was not a solo feat; two other runners also finished under Kiptum's old mark. Ethiopian Yomif Kejelcha, in his marathon debut, came second in 2:00.41, just 11 seconds behind, while Jacob Kiplimo of Uganda ran 2:00.28 for third. The race saw a blistering second half, with Sawe covering the final 5km in 13:42, faster than the parkrun world record.
Sawe, who grew up in a remote Kenyan village with mud walls and no electricity, was encouraged by a teacher who told him running was his fortune. He joined the 2Running group under Italian coach Claudio Berardelli in his mid-20s and has since risen to the top. Insiders say he earned more than $1m (£740,000) from the victory and record bonuses.
Questions about doping have been raised, but Sawe's sponsor Adidas has paid the Athletics Integrity Unit $50,000 for extensive testing this year to prove his clean status. Sawe himself said after the race: 'I have shown that nothing is not possible.'
