Kenya’s Sabastian Sawe stamped his authority on the global marathon stage Sunday morning, winning the 51st BMW Berlin Marathon in 2:02:15, one of the fastest times ever run on the course, though just outside world record pace.
The 29-year-old surged through the early stages with intent, covering the opening 5K in 14:09 and hitting 10K in 28:26, a split nearly identical to Eliud Kipchoge’s during his 2022 course record run.
By halfway, Sawe crossed in 60:16, faster than Kelvin Kiptum had gone through the same mark during his 2:00:35 world record in Chicago in 2023.
For much of the first 30 kilometers, he looked as if he might take the record back to Berlin, long known as the sport’s fastest stage.
But as the sun rose over the German capital, the heat began to take a toll. Sawe slowed slightly after 30K, slipping off record pace and eventually stopping the clock at 2:02:15, still a mark that would have been unthinkable just a few years ago.
Organizers noted it was a “strong race in hot weather”, even if it wasn’t the record-breaking spectacle many anticipated.
For Sawe, the victory is the latest step in a rapid ascent. He won last year’s Valencia Marathon in 2:02:05, then impressed again with negative splits in London earlier this spring. Berlin cements his place at the forefront of the new generation of Kenyan marathoners rising in the wake of Kipchoge’s dominance.
Full Men’s Results
- Sabastian Sawe 2:02:15
- Akira Akasaki 2:06:15
- Chimdessa Debele 2:06:57
- Guye Adola 2:07:11
- Yuhei Urano 2:07:35
- Hassan Chahdi 2:07:43
- Shin Kimura 2:08:37
- Hendrik Pfeiffer 2:09:14
- Joseph Tiophil Panga 2:09:35
- Ahmed Ouhda 2:10:39
