Sebastian Sawe has always had a knack for surprises. The Kenyan, who had never raced on the road before his stunning debut, made history on a perfect April morning in London by becoming the first person to run a sub-two-hour marathon in a competitive race, crossing the line in 1:59:30.
Speaking to BBC Sport a day after his historic run, Sawe admitted the time surprised even him. "It was not in my mind. I was well prepared for this year's London Marathon, but what comes surprised me because I was not thinking to run a world record," he said. The 30-year-old believes he can go even faster, adding, "It was possible to run faster yesterday. Even 1:58 is possible."
Sawe obliterated the previous world record held by the late Kelvin Kiptum by 65 seconds. Others were left searching for words to describe the achievement. London Marathon race director Hugh Brasher called it "an unbelievable day for sport," while former women's marathon world record holder Paula Radcliffe said, "We've witnessed history being made. It is an iconic barrier that there has been this discussion over for a long time about whether it is even possible."
Sawe's path to greatness was not easy. Raised by his grandmother, he moved to Iten in 2017 to pursue running but struggled initially. A pivotal introduction to Italian coach Claudio Berardelli, arranged by his uncle, set him on the right track. Berardelli recognized Sawe's marathon potential and moved him away from the track. Despite a stress fracture in his foot after the Berlin Marathon and a back issue that nearly made him give up in January, Sawe achieved the record on a London course considered slower than Berlin and Chicago.
The race also saw debutant Yomif Kejelcha go sub-two, while half marathon world record holder Jacob Kiplimo also beat Kiptum's former record. Eliud Kipchoge, who ran a sub-two marathon under controlled conditions in 2019, congratulated Sawe and Kejelcha on Instagram, calling it "a historical day for marathon running."
Sawe credited his sponsors' latest 'supershoe,' the Adidas Adios Pro 3, which weighs just 97g and delivers 11% greater forefoot energy return. He runs about 200km per week at altitude and consumed 115g of carbohydrates per hour during the race. He covered 26.2 miles at an average pace of 2:50 mins/km, including a 13:42 5km split from 35-40km.
Amid doping concerns in Kenyan athletics, Sawe is determined to prove he is clean. Adidas funded extensive out-of-competition testing by the Athletics Integrity Unit, with 25 tests before Berlin and similar frequency before London. "It shows Sabastian Sawe is clean," he said. "It shows running clean is good, and we can run clean and we can run faster."
With his coach backing his claim that there is more to come, the world will be watching Sawe's next move.