Sabastian Sawe facts for kids
_2025.jpg)
Sawe running the 2025 Berlin Marathon
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nickname(s) | The Silent Assassin | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | 16 March 1995 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | Athletics | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Event(s) | Long-distance running | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Team | Adidas | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Medal record
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Sabastian Kimaru Sawe, born on March 16, 1995, is a famous long-distance runner from Kenya. He is known for holding the marathon world record since April 2026.
Sabastian made his first marathon run at the 2024 Valencia Marathon. He won this race with an amazing time of 2 hours, 2 minutes, and 5 seconds.
At the 2026 London Marathon, Sabastian achieved something truly historic. He became the first person to run a marathon in under two hours in a race that officially counts for records. His world record time was 1 hour, 59 minutes, and 30 seconds.
Contents
Sabastian Sawe's Early Life and Training
Sabastian Sawe grew up in the Rift Valley Province of Kenya. His father was a maize farmer. Sabastian attended St Patrick’s High School in Iten, a place famous for training many great runners. He is married and has a son.
Sabastian's uncle, Abraham Chepkirwok, was a national record holder in Uganda for the 800-meter race. This inspired Sabastian to start running. He first focused on middle-distance races.
In 2019, Sabastian tried the 5000-meter race for the first time. He had arrived late to an athletics meet, and it was the only race left. He won it with a time of 13 minutes and 56 seconds!
Through his uncle's connections, Sabastian began training with Abel Mutai. Mutai was a former runner and an assistant coach at the 2Running Club in Nandi County. This club was started by Claudio Berardelli.
However, in March 2020, Sabastian faced a challenge. He injured a tendon, which limited his training and race time. He even missed his first chance to compete internationally. He was supposed to help his teammate Amos Kipruto by setting the pace at the 2020 Valencia Marathon, but he couldn't due to health checks.
Sabastian Sawe's Rise to Stardom
Breakthrough Races and Records
In January 2022, Sabastian ran his first half marathon in Seville. He finished in 59 minutes and 2 seconds, even though he started as a pacemaker. A pacemaker helps other runners keep a steady speed.
Later in March 2022, Sabastian set a new course record at the Rome-Ostia Half Marathon. His time was 58 minutes and 2 seconds. This course is not eligible for official world records. He then achieved his best half marathon time of 58 minutes and 58 seconds by winning the 2022 Bahrain Royal Night Half Marathon.
In September 2022, Sabastian set a Kenyan national record in the one hour run at the Memorial Van Damme event. He covered 21,250 meters in one hour, almost breaking the world record.
Sabastian continued to show his talent. He finished seventh in the senior men's race at the 2023 World Athletics Cross Country Championships. He also won the half-marathon at the World Road Running Championships in Riga in 2023.
In December 2023, he won the 15-kilometer road race called the Montferland Run in the Netherlands. His winning time was 42 minutes and 35 seconds.
Sabastian won the Copenhagen Half Marathon in September 2024. He set a new personal best time of 58 minutes and 5 seconds.
On December 1, 2024, he won the Valencia Marathon. His time of 2 hours, 2 minutes, and 5 seconds was the fastest in the world that year.
He continued his winning streak on April 27, 2025, by winning the London Marathon in 2 hours, 2 minutes, and 27 seconds.
In September 2025, Sabastian won the Berlin Marathon with a time of 2 hours, 2 minutes, and 16 seconds. To ensure fair play, Sabastian took many drug tests before this race. He showed his strong commitment to clean sport.
Making History: The Sub-Two-Hour Marathon
On April 26, 2026, Sabastian Sawe made history at the London Marathon. He became the first person to run a competitive marathon in under two hours. His incredible time was 1 hour, 59 minutes, and 30 seconds.
Before this, another great runner, Eliud Kipchoge, ran under two hours in 2019. However, that run was not in a regular race. It was a special event called the Ineos 1:59 Challenge. Sabastian's run was official and counted as a world record.
Sabastian's record-breaking time was ten seconds faster than Kipchoge's special run. It was also 65 seconds faster than the previous official world record held by Kelvin Kiptum.
For this historic race, Sabastian wore special lightweight running shoes. These "super shoes" were the Pro Evo 3 from Adidas. They weighed only about 97 grams (3.4 oz) each.
Sabastian Sawe's Major Achievements and Records
Here are some of Sabastian Sawe's most important wins and personal best times:
- 1st place at the Valencia Marathon (2024) – 2:02:05
- 1st place at the London Marathon (2025) – 2:02:27
- 1st place at the Berlin Marathon (2025) – 2:02:16
- 1st place at the London Marathon (2026) – 1:59:30 (World Record)
His personal best times for different distances include:
- 10,000 metres – 27:09.46 (Maia, Portugal 2022)
- 15,000 metres – 41:51.64 (Brussels 2022) WB (World Best)
- 20,000 metres – 56:20.55 (Brussels 2022) AB (Area Best)
- One hour run – 21,250 metres (Brussels 2022) NR (Kenyan National Record)
- 10K run – 26:49 (Herzogenaurach 2023), making him the 5th fastest athlete ever at that time
- 15K run – 42:35 ('s-Heerenberg 2023)
- Half marathon – 58:05 (Copenhagen 2024)
- Marathon – 1:59:30 (London 2026) WR (World Record)
Sabastian also competed in the Diamond League:
-
- 2022: Brussels Memorial Van Damme (One hour run)
