Sawe aims higher after half marathon victory in Riga

2022 national cross country champion Sebastian Kimaru Sawe has turned his attention to the 2023 Valencia Half marathon following his success in helping Kenyans to a clean podium sweep at the World Athletics Road Running Championships (WRRC) in the half marathon in Riga, Latvia.

Sawe's performance at the WRRC was an improvement from last year where he finished sixth, crossing the mark at 59:04. Kibiwott Kandie emerged the winner by running under 58:10.

Sawe who won the 2022 edition of the Memorial Van Damme Diamond League meeting will be hoping to impress and better his personal best when he lines up against a star-studded field on October 22 in Valencia, Spain. He won his maiden gold medal in the WRRC, a moment he holds dear.

"The experience in Riga was good and heading for the Valencia race, I want to try my best with the best time and good positions,” said the reigning Berlin half marathon.

Besides winning in Valencia, the Bengaluru 10km champion has set his gaze at earning team Kenya a slot in the 2024 Olympics games that will be held in Paris, France.

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“I want to try my luck at the Olympics next year and I will start the process after the Valencia half marathon later this month. I want to do my best,” the Bahrain half marathon champion revealed.

At the Olympics, the Rome Ostia half marathon champion will be looking to outsmart the 10,000m race which is his stronghold.

“I will be competing in the 10,000m because I am not ripe for marathons. I only run in half marathons and 10km and below,” said the Seville half marathon champion, who also won the 2022 Iten’s Athletics Kenya Cross country meeting.

Sawe won the world half marathon title in 59:10 humbling the reigning world 10,000m silver medalist Daniel Simiu Ebenyo to second in 59:14 with Samuel Nyamai Mailu completing the Kenyan podium sweep when he clocked 60.00 to replicate the 1995 and 1997 when Kenya swept the podium.

In 1995, Moses Tanui, Paul Yego and Charles Tangus swept the podium in France after clocking 61:45, 61:46 and 61:50 respectively. In 1997, Shem Kororia defeated Tanui to win gold at 59:56, Tanui winning silver at 59:58 with Kenneth Cheruiyot completing the sweep at 60:00.