World champion Sawe exudes confidence ahead of Prague Half Marathon

World half marathon champion Sebastian Sawe lines up for this year’s Prague Half Marathon with his sights set on going under 59 minutes in the race set for Saturday 6 April.

Fresh from a seventh place finish at the just-concluded World Athletics cross country championship, helping Kenya retain the senior men’s title, Sawe says that performance, albeit disappointing, is behind him for now and he is focused on this weekend’s race.

“I had prepared well for both races. I was well aware they are just a week apart so I am ready. Mentally, I am in the right place. I had hoped for a better show in Belgrade during the championship but that will not dampen my spirit,” Sawe told Mozzart Sport.

Sawe shifts focus to Prague half marathon

A 58:29 runner, a personal best (PB) set on 22 October 2023 while finishing fifth in Valencia, Sawe has what it takes to challenge the course record in the Czech Republic capital.

He, however, remains humble in his targets, arguing that he is only focused on a good run that would hand him his first half marathon victory of the year. The men’s course record of 58:47 is held by Atsedu Tsegay of Ethiopia and the women’s 64:52 record by Joyciline Jepkosgei.

“I have seen the course and it is good. The weather here is also perfect and I did not need much time to acclimatize. However, I am not focusing on the record at the moment,” he added.

Other leading contenders include compatriots Geoffrey Toroitich and Patrick Mosin, both sub-60 runners.

Haftamu Gebresilase of Ethiopia, Maxwell Rotich of Uganda and Gideon Rop of Kenya have run just outside 60 minutes in the last year and are in good form heading to Prague, adding to Sawe's challenger list. 

Moroccans Yakoub Labquira and Ahmed El Jaddar are also set to compete, with Stephen Scullion, the Irish Olympian, also on the entries.

Further men in the line-up include Hélio Gomes of Portugal, Petter Johansen of Norway, Abdennasser Oukhelfen of Spain and Erik Hille of Germany plus, Patrik Vebr, Martin Zajíc and Jiří Homoláč of the Czech Republic.