Sabastian Sawe
Kenyan long-distance runner (born 1995)
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Sabastian Kimaru Sawe (born 16 March 1995) is a Kenyan long-distance runner who holds the world record in the marathon. Sawe made his debut at the 2024 Valencia Marathon, winning in 2:02:05. At the 2026 London Marathon, he became the first person to run a sub-two-hour marathon in a record-eligible race, setting a world record of 1:59:30.
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Sawe running the 2025 Berlin Marathon | |
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Full name | Sabastian Kimaru Sawe |
| Born | 16 March 1995[1] Barsombe, Kenya |
| Sport | |
| Sport | Athletics |
Event | Long-distance running |
| Team | Adidas |
Medal record | |
Early life and background
Sawe was born in the village of Barsombe in the Rift Valley Province of Kenya (today in Uasin Gishu County) to a father who worked as a maize farmer.[2][3] He was primarily raised by his grandmother.[3] Sawe grew up in a house "with mud walls and no electricity."[4] He attended St Patrick's High School in Iten. He is married with a son.[2] He was raised as a Catholic and is said to be a faithful believer.[5]
Career
Sawe's uncle Abraham Chepkirwok was the national record holder in Uganda over 800m. Sawe himself initially ran middle-distances, only attempting the 5000 metres for the first time in 2019 under serendipitous circumstances: having arrived late to an athletics meet, it was the only race still available. He won it in 13:56. Through his uncle's contacts, he began training with Abel Mutai, a former peer of Chepkirwok and an assistant coach at the 2Running Club, based in Nandi County and founded by Claudio Berardelli. In March 2020, however, he ruptured a tendon, limiting his racing, and later missed his international debut — pacing teammate Amos Kipruto at the 2020 Valencia Marathon — after failing a Covid test.[citation needed]
Breakthrough
In January 2022, Sawe finished his first half marathon in Seville in 59:02, despite initially starting the race as a pacemaker.[2] He won the run and improved on the previous course record of 1:00:44. His time was the sixth fastest half marathon time ever with David Ngure (Kenya) finishing second in a time of 1:00:22. In March 2022, Sawe set a course record at the Rome-Ostia Half Marathon in a time of 58:02 (a non-record eligible course).[6] He set a then half marathon best of 58:58 from his win at the 2022 Bahrain Royal Night Half Marathon.[7]
In September 2022, Sawe set a Kenyan national record in the one hour run at the Memorial Van Damme with a distance of 21,250 metres, narrowly missing the world record.[8] Sawe finished seventh in the senior men's race at the 2023 World Cross Country Championships.[9][10] In December 2023, he won the 15 kilometres road race Montferland Run held in 's-Heerenberg in the Netherlands with a time of 42:35.[11] In September 2024, Sawe won the Copenhagen Half Marathon in a new personal best of 58:05.[12]
2024 Valencia Marathon debut
On 1 December 2024, he won the Valencia Marathon in a world-leading time of 2:02:05.[13] This time brought him to the 5th place on the Marathon times all time list and with the course record of 2:01:48 by Sisay Lemma intact. His time was 12 seconds slower than Kelvin Kiptum's fastest ever Marathon debut. Deresa Geleta (Ethopia) came in second with 2:02:38.
On 27 April 2025, Sawe won the London Marathon in a leading time of 2:02:27.[14] This was followed in September 2025 with a win at the Berlin Marathon, with a time of 2:02:16.[15] In response to doping violations from other Kenyan athletes, Sawe underwent an unprecedented 25 out-of-competition drug tests from the AIU to combat suspicions of doping in the buildup to winning the Berlin Marathon.[16]
London Marathon world record
On 26 April 2026, Sawe became the first person to complete a competitive marathon in under two hours when he won the London Marathon in 1:59:30 and set a world record.[17][18] A previous sub-two-hour run by Eliud Kipchoge in the Ineos 1:59 Challenge in 2019 was not recognised as a valid record as it was not achieved under race conditions.[19] Sawe's run was also ten seconds faster than Kipchoge's and 65 seconds faster than the previous official record held by the late Kelvin Kiptum.[20] Sawe's former personal best was set in his debut Marathon in Valencia in 2024 with a time of 2:02:05.[21] In his first Marathon, Yomif Kejelcha of Ethopia finished second in a time of 1:59:41.
The women's former world record holder Paula Radcliffe stated: "We've witnessed history being made, but it is more than that. It is an iconic barrier that there has been this discussion over for a long time about whether it is even possible."[3] Kipchoge stated: "My deepest congratulations to both Sabastian Sawe and Yomif Kejelcha. Breaking the sub-two-hour barrier in the marathon has long been a dream for runners everywhere, and today you've made that dream come true."[3]
The race saw 800,000 spectators. The last time a men's world record was set in London was in 2002. Kelvin Kiptum formerly set the course record with 2:01:25. Sawe ran an of average 200 km a week in the 6 weeks leading up to the run. Sawe's race shoes were a lightweight model of super shoe, the Pro Evo 3 from Adidas.[22] The prize money for Sawe's win was £740,000.[23]
| London 2026 Marathon split times[24] | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Distance | Split | Time | |
| 5k | 14:14 | 14:14 | |
| 10k | 14:21 | 28:35 | |
| 15k | 14:35 | 43:10 | |
| 20k | 14:11 | 57:21 | |
| Half Marathon | --- | 1:00:39 | |
| 25k | 14:20 | 1:11:41 | |
| 30k | 14:22 | 1:26:03 | |
| 35k | 13:54 | 1:39:57 | |
| 40k | 13:42 | 1:53:39 | |
| Marathon | (5:51) | 1:59:30 | |
Achievements
International competitions
| Year | Competition | Venue | Position | Event | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | Kampala UAF Trials | Kampala, Uganda | 1st | 1500 m | 3:51.01 |
| 2019 | AK Meeting Mumias | Mumias, Kenya | 5th | 5000 m | 13:56.2 |
| African Games Trials | Nairobi, Kenya | 6th | 13:46.6 | ||
| 7th | 13:42.28 | ||||
| 2020 | Eldoret Weekend Meet | Eldroret, Kenya | 6th | 14:30.2 | |
| 2022 | GoldGala Fernanda Ribeiro | Maia, Portugal | 1st | 10,000 m | 27:09.46 |
| Memorial Van Damme | Brussels, Belgium | 1st | One Hour | 21,250 m | |
| 2023 | World Cross Country Championships | Bathurst, Australia | 7th | Senior Race | 30:04 |
| 1st | Team | 22 pts | |||
| 2024 | Kenyan Cross Country Championships | Ruiru, Kenya | 1st | 10 km XC | 28:39 |
| World Athletics Cross Country Championships | Belgrade, Serbia | 7th | Senior race | 28:31 | |
| 1st | Team | 19 pts | |||
| Road races | |||||
| 2022 | EDP Medio Maratón de Sevilla | Sevilla, Spain | 1st | Half Marathon | 59:02 |
| Roma–Ostia Half Marathon | Rome, Italy | 1st | 58:02 # | ||
| Adizero: Road to Records | Herzogenaurach, Germany | 2nd | 10 km | 26:54 | |
| Valencia Half Marathon | Valencia, Spain | 6th | Half Marathon | 59:23 | |
| Bahrain Royal Night Half Marathon | Manama, Bahrain | 1st | 58:58 | ||
| 2023 | Berlin Half Marathon | Berlin, Germany | 1st | Half Marathon | 59:00 |
| Adizero: Road to Records | Herzogenaurach, Germany | 1st | 10 km | 26:49 | |
| World 10K Bangalore | Bangalore, India | 1st | 27:59 | ||
| World Athletics Road Running Championships | Riga, Latvia | 1st | Half Marathon | 59:10 | |
| Valencia Half Marathon | Valencia, Spain | 5th | 58:29 | ||
| Montferland Run | 's-Heerenberg, Netherlands | 1st | 15 km | 42:35 | |
| BOclassic | Bolzano, Italy | 1st | 10 km | 28:00 | |
| 2024 | Prague Half Marathon | Prague, Czech Republic | 1st | Half Marathon | 58:24 |
| Adizero: Road to Records | Herzogenaurach, Germany | 2nd | 10 km | 27:06 | |
| B.A.A. 10K | Boston, United States | 1st | 27:42 | ||
| Peachtree Road Race | Atlanta, United States | 1st | 28:03 | ||
| Copenhagen Half Marathon | Copenhagen, Denmark | 1st | Half Marathon | 58:05 | |
| Valencia Marathon | Valencia, Spain | 1st | Marathon | 2:02:05 | |
| World Marathon Majors | |||||
| 2025 | London Marathon | London, United Kingdom | 1st | Marathon | 2:02:27 |
| Berlin Marathon | Berlin, Germany | 1st | 2:02:16 | ||
| 2026 | London Marathon | London, United Kingdom | 1st | 1:59:30 | |
Source: [25]
- Personal bests[1]
- 10,000 metres – 27:09.46 (Maia 2022)
- 15,000 metres – 41:51.64 (Brussels 2022) WB
- 20,000 metres – 56:20.55 (Brussels 2022) AB
- One hour run – 21,250 metres (Brussels 2022) NR
- 10K run – 26:49 (Herzogenaurach 2023), 5th fastest athlete of all time
- 15K run – 42:35 ('s-Heerenberg 2023)
- Half marathon – 58:02 (Rome 2022) (not legal)
- Half marathon – 58:05 (Copenhagen 2024)
- Marathon – 1:59:30 (London 2026) WR
- Circuit wins
- Diamond League
- 2022: Brussels Memorial Van Damme (One hour run)[1]
