Who is Sabastian Sawe?
Sabastian Kimaru Sawe is a Kenyan professional long-distance runner and the current holder of the men’s marathon world record. He competes for Team Kenya and is sponsored by Adidas.
He trains under Italian coach Claudio Berardelli at the 2Running Club based in Nandi County, Kenya. Sawe is known for his reserved, low-profile personality, intense training discipline, and a quiet determination that belies the extraordinary results he delivers on race day.
He had won every single competitive marathon he had entered before making history in London and at the time of his sub-two-hour run, he had competed in only five marathons in total, winning all five.
Profile
| Full Name | Sabastian Kimaru Sawe |
| Born | 16 March 1995 |
| Age | 31 years old (as of 2026) |
| Birthplace | Barsombe village, Uasin Gishu County, Kenya |
| Nationality | Kenyan |
| Occupation | Professional Long-Distance Runner (Marathon) |
| Team / Sponsor | Team Kenya / Adidas |
| Coach | Claudio Berardelli |
| Marathon World Record | 1:59:30 (2026 TCS London Marathon) |
| Children | One son |
| Relationship | Married |
Early Life
Sabastian Kimaru Sawe was born on 16 March 1995 in Barsombe, a small village in Uasin Gishu County, located in Kenya’s celebrated Rift Valley the same high-altitude, sun-drenched highland that has produced Eliud Kipchoge, Kelvin Kiptum, Faith Kipyegon, and a long and extraordinary line of world-class distance runners. Like many children in the Rift Valley highlands, Sawe grew up running long distances as a natural part of daily life, not as athletic ambition but simply as a way of navigating the world around him.
Sawe was raised in a humble household that lacked electricity, and he was brought up primarily by his grandmother, known as Koko, who was the central figure of his early life. His mother, Emily Sawe, has recalled that even as a very young child, Sabastian was always running. “He would run too fast,” she told the Associated Press after his historic London run. “So I would say to myself, this boy will shine for me one day.” His father similarly sensed greatness in his son from an early age.
The loss of his grandmother was profoundly significant to Sawe. At the Seville Half Marathon in January 2022, he ran the race while deeply grieving his grandmother was on the verge of death as he competed. He broke the course record and won. He then flew home immediately to attend her funeral. This story has become one of the most powerful testaments to his emotional strength and dedication.
Education
Sabastian Sawe’s formal educational background has not been extensively detailed in public sources. Like many athletes from the Rift Valley who dedicate themselves to distance running from a young age, his primary pursuit from his teenage years onward was athletics. He honed his craft through rigorous training rather than academic institutions, and his career development was guided most significantly by his association with coach Claudio Berardelli and the 2Running Club in Nandi County.
Career
Sabastian Sawe’s athletics career began not in the marathon but on the track. He initially competed in middle-distance events and only ran his first 5,000 metres in 2019 and even then, it was by accident. He arrived late to an athletics meeting and the only race available was the 5,000m. He entered it anyway and won, clocking 13:56. That moment of serendipity would eventually lead to one of sport’s most extraordinary journeys.
In March 2020, Sawe suffered a serious setback when he ruptured a tendon, sidelining him for a significant period. He also missed his intended international debut as a pacemaker for teammate Amos Kipruto at the 2020 Valencia Marathon after testing positive for COVID-19. These early setbacks did nothing to diminish his ambition.
Sawe made his competitive marathon debut at the 2024 Valencia Marathon in December 2024, winning in a stunning time of 2:02:05. The performance announced him to the world as a serious marathon force. He followed this up by winning the 2025 London Marathon in 2:02:27, then the 2025 Berlin Marathon in 2:02:16. In the buildup to Berlin, he underwent 25 out-of-competition drug tests by the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) a reflection of increased scrutiny on Kenyan distance runners due to doping cases in the sport. He passed every single one.
Then came 26 April 2026 the day that changed everything. At the TCS London Marathon in London, running before 800,000 spectators and a global television audience, Sawe delivered a performance for the ages. He averaged a pace of 2:50 per kilometre over 42.195 kilometres, crossing the finish line in 1:59:30 the first officially sanctioned sub-two-hour marathon in the history of the sport. He obliterated the previous world record set by the late Kelvin Kiptum (2:00:35) by over one minute.
The achievement drew praise from across the athletics world. Olympic champion Eliud Kipchoge, who had previously run a sub-two-hour marathon in a non-record-eligible controlled experiment (Project 1:59 in Vienna in 2019), congratulated Sawe warmly. Kenya’s President William Ruto declared that Sawe had “redrawn the limits of human endurance.” On his return to Nairobi, Sawe received a hero’s welcome complete with a water cannon salute for his aircraft, traditional dancing, and an official reception at State House where President Ruto awarded him KES 8 million (approximately $62,000) and a car.
Before the historic run, Sawe’s preparation had been far from perfect. He had been injured through the autumn of 2025 and only resumed proper training in January 2026. By February, the goal was simply to defend his London title not to rewrite history. That he achieved the seemingly impossible despite a disrupted build-up makes the feat all the more extraordinary. In the weeks before London, he trained at an average of 200 kilometres per week, peaking at 241 kilometres in a single week.
Awards and Honours
- 2024 Valencia Marathon Champion (2:02:05) – Marathon debut win
- 2025 TCS London Marathon Champion (2:02:27)
- 2025 Berlin Marathon Champion (2:02:16)
- 2026 TCS London Marathon Champion and Marathon World Record Holder (1:59:30) – First official sub-two-hour marathon in history
- Presidential award of KES 8 million and a car from President William Ruto (April 2026)
- Recognised by the Kenya National Olympic Committee and Athletics Kenya for historic achievement
Social Media
Sabastian Sawe is notably private and keeps a low profile on social media, which is consistent with his reserved personality. He does not maintain a highly active public social media presence. However, his name trended globally across platforms including X (formerly Twitter), Instagram, and Facebook following his historic sub-two-hour marathon in April 2026, with millions of people around the world celebrating the achievement. News of his run was covered by international outlets including BBC, CNN, Al Jazeera, Reuters, and NPR.
Personal Life
Sabastian Sawe is a married man and has one son. He has deliberately kept his family out of the public spotlight, and the names of his wife and son have not been publicly disclosed. This privacy-first approach reflects his intensely focused and low-key personality. He is deeply devoted to his training, his recovery, and his faith and equally devoted to his family, even if that side of his life remains shielded from public view.
He trains under coach Claudio Berardelli at the 2Running Club in Kapsabet, Nandi County a hub of world-class distance running talent. Colleagues and coaches describe Sawe as calm, analytical, and extraordinarily disciplined. The story of his grandmother his beloved Koko and his emotional resilience in continuing to race even as she lay dying has become one of the most widely shared personal stories in modern athletics.
Net Worth
Sabastian Sawe’s net worth is not officially disclosed, but it has grown substantially following his historic 2026 London Marathon victory. His earnings come from prize money, his Adidas sponsorship deal, and appearance fees at major international marathons. At the 2026 London Marathon alone, he stood to earn up to KES 129 million (approximately $1 million) in prize money and bonuses for breaking the world record. Additionally, President Ruto awarded him KES 8 million and a car. As Kenya’s new athletic icon, his commercial value and earning potential will continue to grow significantly.
Career Highlights / Race Results
| Race | Year | Result | Time |
| Valencia Marathon | 2024 | 1st Place (Debut) | 2:02:05 |
| Seville Half Marathon | 2022 | 1st Place (Course Record) | N/A |
| TCS London Marathon | 2025 | 1st Place | 2:02:27 |
| Berlin Marathon | 2025 | 1st Place | 2:02:16 |
| TCS London Marathon | 2026 | 1st Place + World Record (First sub-2-hour) | 1:59:30 |
FAQs About Sabastian Sawe
What is Sabastian Sawe’s full name?
Sabastian Sawe’s full name is Sabastian Kimaru Sawe. Note that it is “Sabastian” with an “a,” not “Sebastian” this is how his name appears on his birth certificate and in the World Athletics database.
What world record does Sabastian Sawe hold?
Sabastian Sawe holds the men’s marathon world record with a time of 1:59:30, set at the 2026 TCS London Marathon. He is the first person in history to officially run a marathon in under two hours in a sanctioned, record-eligible race.
Where is Sabastian Sawe from?
Sabastian Sawe was born in Barsombe village, Uasin Gishu County, in Kenya’s Rift Valley region. He trains in Kapsabet, Nandi County.
Who coaches Sabastian Sawe?
Sabastian Sawe is coached by Claudio Berardelli, an Italian coach who has trained several world-class Kenyan distance runners through the 2Running Club in Nandi County, Kenya.
Has Sabastian Sawe ever lost a marathon?
As of the 2026 London Marathon, Sabastian Sawe had never lost a competitive marathon. He won all five of the marathon races he entered, including his debut at Valencia in 2024, both London Marathons in 2025 and 2026, and the 2025 Berlin Marathon.
How did Kenya celebrate Sabastian Sawe’s world record?
Kenya gave Sabastian Sawe a massive hero’s welcome on his return from London. His aircraft received a water cannon salute at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, where he was met by his parents, Sports Minister Salim Mvurya, and jubilant fans. President Ruto received him at State House and awarded him KES 8 million and a car. Traditional dancers performed in his honour and he was adorned with a traditional victory wreath.
Conclusion
Sabastian Kimaru Sawe has etched his name permanently into the story of human achievement.
From a small village in Kenya’s Rift Valley, raised without electricity and without the global fame of his predecessors, he quietly built one of the most perfect competitive records in marathon history and then, on a spring morning in London, he did what no human being had ever done before in a legitimate race. He ran 26.2 miles in under two hours.
His story is not just about athletic excellence. It is about resilience running a race while grieving, rebuilding from injury, facing scrutiny with dignity, and arriving at the start line of history with quiet, unshakeable confidence.
Kenya has produced Paul Tergat, Eliud Kipchoge, and Kelvin Kiptum. Now it has Sabastian Sawe and the age of the sub-two-hour marathon has begun.