Most of us consider a successful morning to be getting out of bed before the alarm clock screams at us. Sabastian Sawe, however, has a slightly different definition of a morning well spent. He recently decided to run 26.2 miles in just 1 hour, 59 minutes, and 30 seconds at the London Marathon. While the rest of us get winded walking to the fridge, Sawe obliterated one of the most stubborn barriers in sports history.
He did not just win. He smashed the previous world record of 2:00:35, set by the late Kelvin Kiptum in 2023, by over a minute. This feat officially marks the first time anyone has broken the two hour barrier in an official marathon race.
Naturally, the nation of Kenya responded with the kind of energy usually reserved for royalty. When Sawe landed at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, the authorities greeted his plane with a traditional water cannon salute. President William Ruto rolled out the red carpet at the State House. He handed Sawe a car and a hefty cheque for 8 million Kenyan shillings, which is about $62,064. It is quite a nice return on investment for a couple of hours of cardio.
The local reaction provides a nice touch of human comedy to the heroic display. Sawe’s mother, Emily, claims he was fast even as a toddler, sprinting around during bath time. His father, Simion, missed the actual finish because his television signal dropped out at the worst possible moment. He had to settle for a replay later. It is nice to know that even world record holders have parents who struggle with modern technology.
Fans gathered at the airport in Nairobi to see the man in person. Some admitted they barely knew who he was before he made the news. One fan, David Gitonga, called him an ordinary person, which is a bit of a stretch considering most of us cannot run for two minutes, let alone two hours at that pace.
Sawe now aims to lower the record further. It is a bold goal for someone who has already pushed the limits of human biology. We are all rooting for him, though some of us would be happy just to run to the post box without needing a nap afterwards.
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