Sabastian Sawe opens up on how he overcame injury to break marathon record

Kenyan marathoner Sabastian Sawe has explained the work and dedication behind his success in the London Marathon, where he became the first human to run a sub-two-hour marathon in an official race.

Sawe shook the world after completing his race in one hour, 59 minutes, 30 seconds, breaking the world record of 2:00.35 set by his compatriot, the late Kelvin Kiptum, on 3 October 2023 at the Chicago Marathon.

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Consequently, he had also become the first human to run an official marathon in under two hours.

The legendary Eliud Kipchoge completed the Marathon in 1:59:40.2 in an exhibition race held in 2019.

Speaking after shattering the world record and creating history, Sawe expressed his joy and its impact on him and Kenya at large.

“I am so happy and excited to run a World Record in London. I did not believe it, but I was well prepared, and I am glad the results of my training have bore fruits.

It means a lot to me, my family and my country, where it shows that we are producing good talent and they are cheering and happy for me back home,” said Sawe..

The 2025 Berlin Marathon gold medalist also opened up on coming back from a back injury to achieve his dream.

“I struggled with injuries but took medical advice and was able to get back to training. For the World record, I am so happy because starting with problems and ending up with a World Record is amazing,” he stated.

Meanwhile, Sawe shared his thoughts on breaking Kiptum's record.

“Kiptum was such a talented athlete, and I feel sorry for his family. He rested, but Sabastian kept the spirit of how Kiptum was to run in the future,” he added.