President William Ruto has honoured Kenyan marathon sensation Sabastian Sawe with a Ksh8 million cash reward and a brand-new vehicle after his historic sub-two-hour finish at the London Marathon.
Sawe etched his name into athletics history on Sunday after clocking an astonishing 1:59:30, becoming the first man to officially run a marathon in under two hours in a competitive race. His feat shattered the previous world record of 2:00:35 set by the late Kelvin Kiptum at the Chicago Marathon in 2023.
The President hosted Sawe at State House, Nairobi, shortly after his return to the country via Jomo Kenyatta International Airport. During the ceremony, Ruto presented two cheques — Ksh5 million for breaking the world record and Ksh3 million in recognition of his victory, in line with the government’s athlete reward policy.
In a symbolic gesture marking the historic milestone, the Head of State also handed Sawe a customised Kenyan number plate bearing the digits “1:59:30”, immortalising the record-breaking performance.
“Sabastian, you have not only broken a record; you have expanded the horizon of human potential,” Ruto said during the ceremony. “You have made the impossible possible and inspired a nation, a generation, and the entire world.”
The celebration was marked by a reciprocal gesture from Sawe, who presented the President with an autographed pair of running shoes — the very pair he wore during his groundbreaking performance in London.
The 2026 London Marathon is already being hailed as one of the greatest races in history. Beyond Sawe’s headline-making achievement, Ethiopia’s Yofin Kejelcha also dipped under the two-hour mark with a time of 1:59:41, becoming the first Ethiopian to do so. Meanwhile, Uganda’s Jacob Kiplimo secured third place with a personal best of 2:00:28.
Analysts say the race has redefined the limits of endurance running, sparking fresh debate about the future of marathon competition and human athletic capability.
Also Read: IG Kanja Deploys GSU, RDU to Secure Nairobi–Garissa Highway After Killings