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Sabastian Sawe, the first athlete to officially break the two-hour barrier in a marathon, has been welcomed home to Kenya with a hero’s reception, including a water cannon salute for his arriving aircraft.
The record-breaker was subsequently awarded $61,000 (£45,000) and a new car by the president.
Mr Sawe’s return on Wednesday saw him greeted by his parents and Sports Minister Salim Mvurya, who lauded the runner’s achievement at the London Marathon as “a win for Kenya.”
On Thursday, President William Ruto hosted a formal ceremony, describing Mr Sawe’s victory as “a defining moment in the history of human endurance.”
During the event, Mr Sawe presented President Ruto with an autographed Adidas Adizero shoe, worn during Sunday’s race, along with a signed photograph commemorating his world record moment.
Mr Sawe made history on Sunday by completing the marathon in an astonishing 1 hour, 59 minutes, and 30 seconds, shaving 65 seconds off the previous men’s world record.
Upon his arrival at Nairobi’s Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, he expressed his pride at having “made a great achievement in life” and vowed to “try and lower the record further.”
The athlete was adorned with a traditional wreath of twigs, symbolising victory, as traditional dancers celebrated his return. He was then escorted into a luxury government vehicle, part of the “heroic welcome” orchestrated by the sports minister.
His parents shared their long-held belief in their son’s destiny for greatness. His mother, Emily Sawe, recalled his childhood speed: “He would run too fast. So, I would say to myself, this boy will shine for me one day.”
His father, Simion Kiplagat Sawe, recounted the tension of watching Sunday’s race due to a poor television signal.
“The moment my son pulled in front, I walked out and didn’t see him finish the race. I watched the replay afterwards. I was so happy, extremely happy. We screamed so much that now it is hard to swallow anything,” he said.
Sawe’s introduction to professional running came through his uncle, Abraham Chepkirwok, an 800-metre Olympian for Uganda at the 2008 Beijing Games.
Having won the Valencia Marathon in 2024 with a time of 2:02:05, Sawe entered Sunday’s London race as the defending champion.
His father affirmed his son’s unwavering determination, stating: “Even now, he still says that record was not enough; he wants to lower it further.”
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