Sabastian Sawe made history on Sunday by becoming the first man to run an official marathon in under two hours, crossing the line in one hour, 59 minutes and 30 seconds at the London Marathon. The 31-year-old Kenyan obliterated Kelvin Kiptum’s previous world record of 2:00.35, turning a once fantastical goal into reality.
Sawe’s performance was staggering: he ran the second half of the race in just over 59 minutes, and covered the final 5km in 13:42, faster than the parkrun world record. Two other runners also finished under Kiptum’s old mark: Ethiopian Yomif Kejelcha, who clocked 2:00:19 on his marathon debut, and Jacob Kiplimo of Uganda in 2:00:28. Kejelcha later said his body stopped at 41km, but Sawe powered on alone.
Sawe’s route to glory is remarkable. He grew up in a remote Kenyan village with mud walls and no electricity, and was so shy he hid in the school kitchen before races. A teacher, Julius Kemei, forced him to compete, telling him, “Running is not just talent, it’s your fortune, and your future.” It was only in his mid-20s, after joining the 2Running group under Italian coach Claudio Berardelli, that his talent truly flourished.
Insiders said Sawe earned more than $1m (£740,000) in prize money, appearance fees and bonuses from his victory and world record. Sponsor Adidas has paid the Athletics Integrity Unit $50,000 for extensive doping tests this year to demonstrate his clean record. Sawe’s feat drew comparisons to Roger Bannister’s sub-four-minute mile and Usain Bolt’s 100m world record, underscoring its place in sporting history.
