Sabastian Sawe receives hero’s welcome after sub-two-hour marathon
Sabastian Sawe has received a jubilant homecoming in Nairobi after becoming the first person to run a competitive marathon in under two hours at the London Marathon.
The 31-year-old shattered the elusive two-hour barrier on Sunday with an official time of one hour 59 minutes and 30 seconds.
Officials, dancers, and family members greeted the history-maker amid a crush of cameras at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport.
His Kenyan Airways flight was even honoured with a spectacular water cannon salute upon touching down in the capital.
Presidential praise for athletic milestone
The marathon world record holder met Kenya’s President William Ruto on Thursday morning to celebrate the monumental achievement.
He was awarded 8m Kenyan shillings (£46,000) and presented with a commemorative vehicle number plate reading 01:59:30 to mark his official time.
In a ceremonial exchange, the victorious runner handed the president the very shoes he wore to conquer the 26.2-mile course.
“Sabastian, you have not only broken a record, you have expanded the horizon of human potential.”
The unprecedented performance was more than a minute faster than the late Kelvin Kiptum’s previous world best of 2:00:35 set in 2023.
Family celebrates a lifelong dream
Sawe’s parents drove six hours from their rural home to witness his triumphant return alongside thousands of elated supporters.
“He used to tell me that one day, he was going to break the record. He was so determined and hopeful that he would.”
Simeon Sawe, the athlete’s father, expressed immense pride while revealing his throat still hurt from all the passionate cheering.
The newly crowned champion addressed the adoring crowds directly to express his sheer surprise and gratitude for the massive turnout.
“I am happy about this good day, that you came to celebrate with me, I did not expect it.”
Unbeaten streak hints at a faster future
The dominant long-distance specialist was already on world-record pace at the halfway mark in London, splitting 1:00:29 before accelerating through the second half in a blistering 59:01.
Remarkably, the elite runner maintains a perfect career record, having won all four competitive marathons he has entered to date.
The unbeaten Kenyan is already setting his sights on an autumn return, confidently predicting he can lower the historic benchmark even further.
