Sabastian Sawe shattered the marathon world record on Sunday, becoming the first athlete to complete an official marathon in under two hours. The 31-year-old Kenyan crossed the finish line in London in 1 hour, 59 minutes and 30 seconds, obliterating Kelvin Kiptum's previous mark of 2:00.35.
Sawe's performance was described as an act of 'serene beauty and supreme destruction'. He ran the second half of the race in just over 59 minutes, with a stunning 5km split of 13:42 between kilometres 35 and 40. Two other runners also finished under Kiptum's old record: Ethiopian Yomif Kejelcha (2:00.46) and Jacob Kiplimo (2:00.28).
Speaking after the race, Sawe said: 'I am feeling good, I am so happy. It is a day to remember. I have shown that nothing is not possible.' Insiders reported that Sawe earned over $1 million (£740,000) in prize money, appearance fees and bonuses.
Sawe's journey from a remote Kenyan village with mud walls and no electricity to world record holder is remarkable. His early teacher Julius Kemei told him: 'Running is not just talent, it's your fortune, and your future.' Sawe joined the 2Running group led by Italian coach Claudio Berardelli in his mid-20s, which proved pivotal.
Questions about doping have arisen, but Sawe's sponsors Adidas have paid the Athletics Integrity Unit $50,000 for frequent testing this year to demonstrate he is clean. Sawe was tested under a similar protocol before the Berlin marathon.
