Sabastian Sawe wins the Berlin Marathon (© AFP / Getty Images)
After running a world record of 1:59:30 in London, Sabastian Sawe has confirmed that he will return to the BMW Berlin Marathon to defend his title at the World Athletics Platinum Label road race on 27 September.
With that performance in London last month, the Kenyan 31-year-old became the first athlete to officially break two hours for the marathon – taking 65 seconds off the previous world record set by the late Kelvin Kiptum in Chicago in 2023 and surpassing Eliud Kipchoge’s 1:59:41 exhibition performance from 2019.
It was Sawe’s first race since winning the Berlin Marathon in September in 2:02:16 – which was then the second-fastest marathon of his career behind the 2:02:05 he ran in Valencia in 2024.
“I am very happy to return to the BMW Berlin Marathon this year and to defend my title,” Sawe told event organisers.
“Many people may be wondering what my goals are this time. After coming off my win in London and sub-2 performance, I can only say that, like always, I plan to prepare myself to the best of my ability and to come to Berlin to honour this great event and organisation which has invited me, and to run as well and fast as possible. Then, on the day, we will see what will happen.”
Berlin is one of the fastest marathons in the world – eight consecutive men’s world records were set there between 2003 and 2022. The course record is Kipchoge’s 2:01:09, run in 2022.
Sawe is unbeaten in his marathon career so far. The 2:02:05 he ran to win in Valencia in 2024 came on his marathon debut and he followed it with 2:02:27 to win in London the following April, 2:02:16 to win in Berlin and then 1:59:30 to retain his title in London. On a landmark day for marathon running, Yomif Kejelcha finished second in 1:59:41 – the second-fastest time in history and the fastest marathon debut ever – and Jacob Kiplimo joined them in finishing inside the previous world record, placing third in 2:00:28. Tigst Assefa also successfully defended her title, improving her own women-only world record to 2:15:41.
