The 31-year-old, made his move with one mile remaining, finally breaking clear and pressing on alone. He crossed the line in 1:59:30, taking 65 seconds off the previous world record set by the late Kelvin Kiptum in Chicago in 2023.
Sawe further became the first athlete to run a legal sub-two-hour marathon, surpassing Eliud Kipchoge’s 1:59:41 exhibition performance from 2019.
Sawe returned home to joyous scenes where officials led by Kenya’s Cabinet Secretary for Sports Salim Mvurya welcomed him home amid a crush of cameras at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) in Nairobi.
The Kenya Airways plane carrying Sawe from London was given a water cannon salute when it landed, as dancers and musicians performed in honour of the athlete.
His parents were present to greet him, days after the 31-year-old achieved the holy grail of marathon running by smashing the two-hour barrier in a race with an official time of one hour 59 minutes and 30 seconds.
On Thursday, Kenya’s head of state hosted the marathoner at State House in Nairobi, to celebrate his incredible feat. Sawe made his marathon debut at the 2024 Valencia Marathon, winning in 2:02:05.
Sawe was destined for greatness
“We are here to celebrate a historic achievement of what a human being can achieve. Congratulations to you and your teammates. I am sure they pushed you,” said President Ruto.
“Your return to London and setting a new record confirms one enduring truth, you were destined for greatness.”
President Ruto added: “What Sabastian Sawe achieved last weekend in London is not merely a sporting triumph; it is a defining moment in the story of human endurance.
“Sabastian did not only break a record; he expanded the horizon of human potential. This young man, our hero, did what many believed could not be done.
“Sabastian has made the impossible possible. We undertake to scale up investment in talent development and build world-class sporting infrastructure for our youth to turn talent into sustainable livelihoods and meaningful careers.”
Kenya’s Sports Minister Mvurya said: “Sawe’s achievement has become a revered moment for the country; uplifting the spirit of Kenyans and uniting the nation from all walks of life to stand tall in pride.
Sawe stands as a powerful testament to the vision of President William Ruto to nurture talent from the grassroots to the global stage, and to ensure that talent translates into sustainable livelihoods for our athletes.”
Sawe's gift to President Ruto
Mvurya continued: “As a Ministry, we will continue to advance deliberate efforts to commercialise sports, transforming it into a key economic frontier and positioning Kenya as a global sporting powerhouse.”
He concluded: “As a country, we stand proud and tall in celebrating his historic achievement at the 2026 London Marathon, where he stormed to victory in a world record time of 1:59:30, becoming the first man to run a sub-two-hour marathon under official race conditions.
“Kenyans celebrate this extraordinary milestone with pride and honour, as he continues to inspire generations with the powerful reminder that no human is limited.”
Sawe presented President Ruto with the shoes he wore as he covered the 26.2 miles (42.2km) on Sunday, and further said his achievement in London was “on behalf of everyone and for the nation.”
“We will continue to put more effort in our talent to keep the nation flying high. Thank you for all the support... we will not let you down,” said Sawe.
Speaking after breaking the record, Sawe, who won last year in 2:02:27, said: "I feel good, I'm so happy. It is a day to remember for me.
“We started the race well, and I felt strong as we approached finishing the end. When I got to the finish line, I saw the time and I was so excited.
Coming to London for the second time was so important to me and that’s why I prepared well for it. What I had done for four months, it has come today to be a good result.”
Sawe was born in the village of Barsombe in the Rift Valley Province of Kenya (today in Uasin Gishu County) to a father who worked as a maize farmer. He was primarily raised by his grandmother.
Sawe grew up in a house without electricity, and attended St Patrick’s High School in Iten.
In September 2022, he set a Kenyan national record in the one hour run at the Memorial Van Damme with a distance of 21,250 metres, narrowly missing the world record.
