President William Ruto on Monday took time to celebrate Kenya’s athletics excellence by showing visiting French President Emmanuel Macron a portrait of marathon sensation Sabastian Sawe.
The portrait has been displayed prominently at State House, Nairobi.
The portrait, mounted on one of the walls inside State House, captures the historic moment Sawe crossed the finish line at the London Marathon after shattering the men’s marathon world record with an astonishing time of 1:59:30.
The image includes the race clock above Sawe as he sprinted to the finish, becoming the first athlete to officially run a marathon in under two hours in a competitive race.
As the two leaders walked through the State House corridors ahead of bilateral engagements linked to the Africa Forward Summit, Ruto paused to explain the significance of the portrait to Macron.
“He is the first man to officially run a marathon in under two hours,” Ruto told the French President while pointing at the image.
“Without any assistance?” Macron asked.
“No,” Ruto responded, smiling.
Sawe’s achievement has been hailed globally as one of the greatest moments in athletics history, breaking a barrier long considered impossible in official marathon competition.
The Kenyan runner stunned the world on Sunday when he stormed to victory in London, clocking 1 hour, 59 minutes and 30 seconds to break the previous men’s world record by 65 seconds.
The late Kelvin Kiptum, whose meteoric rise in long-distance running had already transformed the sport before his tragic death, had set the earlier record of 2:00:35.
Sawe’s feat also reignited comparisons with Eliud Kipchoge, who in 2019 became the first human being to run a marathon in under two hours after clocking 1:59:40 during the INEOS 1:59 Challenge in Vienna.
However, Kipchoge’s run was not recognised as an official world record because it was conducted under controlled conditions with rotating pacemakers and technical assistance.
What made Sawe’s performance even more remarkable, Ruto explained to Macron, was the manner in which the Kenyan athlete executed the race.
The President noted that Sawe ran the second half of the marathon faster than the opening half, an indication of extraordinary endurance, race management and physical conditioning.
Athletics analysts have since described the run as a defining moment for marathon racing and another demonstration of Kenya’s dominance in long-distance athletics.
Sawe’s rise to global stardom has been equally inspiring. The athlete was introduced to professional running by his uncle, Abraham Chepkirwok, who represented Uganda in the 800 metres at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
Before his London triumph, Sawe had already announced himself among the world’s elite marathoners after winning the Valencia Marathon in 2024 with a time of 2:02:05. He entered Sunday’s London race as the defending champion.
Macron is among several dignitaries from across Africa and beyond attending the Africa Forward Summit in Nairobi.
The summit, jointly hosted by Ruto and Macron, is taking place at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre and the University of Nairobi on May 11 and 12.
Organisers say the Africa Forward Summit seeks to redefine relations between Africa and France while strengthening multilateral cooperation on economic growth, climate action, innovation and global governance.
The gathering has brought together African Heads of State, representatives of the African Union, international financial institutions, development partners, business leaders, innovators and creatives.
