Heroic reception for new marathon king Sawe

Marathon world record holder Sebastian Sawe arrived at JKIA Nairobi  to a heroic welcome. [Stafford Ondego, Standard]

Marathon world record holder Sabastian Sawe was given a heroic welcome on his return from London, where he posted the first-ever sub-two-hour marathon time of 1:59:30 on Sunday.

After being received by jubilant fans and family members together with government and  Athletics Kenya officials at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport on Wednesday, Sawe yesterday received Sh8 million and a car from President William Ruto at a State House reception in Nairobi.

On Wednesday, the flight carrying  Sawe was greeted with a traditional water cannon salute when it touched down at the airport.

And yesterday, Sawe received Sh5 million for breaking the world record and Sh3 million as a gold medal bonus, in line with the government's athlete reward scheme. For the historic feat in London, Sawe pocketed Sh46 million in prize money and bonuses.

Ruto also handed him personalised number plates bearing the inscription "01:59:30" and committed to funding a car of Sawe's choice.

"We have awarded him some number plates, and I know he must be wondering where to place them," Ruto said jokingly, adding, "I will get you a car where you will fix them."

Sawe made the impossible possible to shatter the previous world record of 2:00:35 held by the late Kelvin Kiptum, who set it at the Chicago Marathon in 2023. Kiptum died in a car crash in 2024.

Fellow Kenyan Eliud Kipchoge broke the two-hour barrier in 2019 in a specially staged event, but that time was not record-eligible.

At the ceremony, Sawe walked a red carpet flanked by Maasai warriors before Ruto embraced him.

"From the bottom of my heart and on behalf of the nation and the people of Kenya, we want to send out a big congratulations to you for this unmatched feat," said Ruto.

Ruto compared Sawe's feat to milestones in human history, including Roger Bannister's first four-minute mile in 1954 and the moon landing.

"Future generations will look back on April 26, 2026, as the day a man broke through a physical and psychological barrier long thought insurmountable, and the name forever attached to that moment will be Sabastian Sawe," added Ruto.

Sawe, who flew to Eldoret yesterday, said the victory belonged to the country.

"The job I did in London was not just for me, but on behalf of all of us, to build Kenya and its name. It is my delight that the moment has brought joy to all of us, and I promise to keep building my talent to achieve more success for our country," he said.

Sawe's rise has been one of the fastest in marathon history. He won Valencia in 2024 in a debut time of 2:02:05, then London and Berlin in 2025, before returning to London to rewrite history.

But unfortunately, his return on Wednesday night was marred by chaotic organisation. The occasion descended into a scramble as security clashed with journalists and competing groups jostled for proximity to the record holder, undermining the dignity of the welcome.

Sports Cabinet Secretary Salim Mvurya led the official reception.  

Sawe's parents, who had travelled over eight hours to Nairobi, were among those present to witness the moment.