Sabastian Sawe

From 10K wins to a world half marathon title

Sabastian Kimaru Sawe is a Kenyan distance runner who became the first man to finish a record-eligible marathon in under two hours. He ran 1:59:30 at the London Marathon on 26 April 2026. Four years earlier he was racing half marathons, winning the Bahrain Royal Night Half in 58:58. In 2023 he won over 10km in both Herzogenaurach and Bengaluru, and over the half marathon distance in Berlin. His biggest victory that season came in Riga, where he won the world half marathon title in 59:10.

Four wins at the marathon

Sawe’s final season before stepping up to the marathon included victories at Prague and Copenhagen. His 58:05 in Copenhagen came in September 2024. Less than three months later he made his marathon debut in Valencia and won in 2:02:05, the fastest marathon by any man that year. He followed that with wins in London in April 2025 and Berlin in September. London’s sub-two-hour race the following spring made it four wins in his first four marathons.

Sabastian Sawe's published record includes performances from 2018 to 2026 in 1500 Metres, Marathon, 5000 Metres, Half marathon, 10 Kilometres Road, 10,000 Metres. Selected recorded events include Kampala UAF Trials, Kampala (2018; source checked); London Marathon (2026; unverified record); AK Meeting, Sports Complex, Mumias (2019; source checked).