President William Ruto has rewarded Sabastian Sawe heavily following his record-breaking marathon run in London on Sunday. Powered by: 00:06 Sawe became the first human being to run an official marathon in under 2 hours when he clocked 1:59:30 to successfully defend his London title. It was a historic race as he shaved 1 minute, 5 seconds from the previous world record the late Kelvin Kiptum (2:00:35) set in 2023 in Chicago. So quick was the race that Ehtiopia’s Yomif Kejelcha also ran a sub-two race on his marathon debut but had to settle for second place. Uganda’s Jacob Kiplimo, who had been expected to be Sawe’s main competitor, finished third with a time of 2:00:28. Sawe jetted back into the country on Wednesday evening with Kenya Airways giving him a grand gesture of the water salute at the Jomo Kenyatta International Aiprort. How much did Sawe get from President Ruto? This morning, he was treated to a breakfast reception at State House by Ruto where the president honoured the financial pledges he made to athletes last year.
For breaking a world record, Sawe will get KSh 5 million and for winning the race, he will get an additional KSh 3 million. He was also presented with customised 1:59:30 number plates while he gave Ruto the KSh 64,000 Adizero Adios Pro Evo 3 shoes he used to break the record. “Our new marathon record holder, Sebastian Sawe, karibu nyumbani. From the bottom of my heart, on behalf of the nation, the people of Kenya, we want to say a very big congratulation for this unmatched feat. What he achieved last weekend on the streets of London, by running a marathon under two hours, is not merely a sporting triumph. It is a defining moment in the history of human endurance,” said a visibly elated President. “Future generations will look back on 26th of April, 2026, as the day a man broke through a physical and psychological barrier long thought insurmountable. And the name forever attached to that moment will be Sebastian Sawe. These moments did more than set records; they redefined possibility itself. They stretched the boundaries of belief, challenged doubt, inspired courage, and compelled humanity to aim higher.” More to follow.
