Sabastian Sawe, a Kenyan marathon world record holder, has been inducted into the Adidas Hall of Fame. The induction ceremony took place on September 24 at Adidas' global headquarters in Herzogenaurach, Germany. Sawe was honoured in the presence of Adidas chief executive Bjoern Gulden and members of the company's team. This recognition comes five months after Sawe produced a world-record performance, clocking 1:59:30 at the 2026 London Marathon.
Sawe's journey to global athletics fame began in Barsombe, a village in Kenya's Rift Valley, where he was born in March 1995. He grew up in a modest family whose livelihood was connected to small-scale farming. His early life involved a routine common in rural Kenya — walking or running to school and helping with farm work. Sawe later attended St Patrick's High School in Iten, one of Kenya's best-known athletics schools.
Sawe's breakthrough in athletics came relatively late. He initially focused on middle-distance events before circumstances at an athletics meeting in 2019 unexpectedly pointed him towards longer races. He entered the 5,000 metres, won, and recorded 13:56, a performance that helped reveal his potential over longer distances. This led him to the 2Running Club in Nandi County, where he trained under Italian coach Claudio Berardelli.
Sawe's development was not without setbacks, as a tendon injury in 2020 interrupted his progress and forced him to spend a considerable period away from competition. When he returned, however, his progression accelerated. In 2022, Sawe made a major impression on the half-marathon circuit, winning the Seville Half Marathon in 59:02 and recording a 58:02 at the Roma-Ostia Half Marathon.
In 2023, Sawe won the men's half-marathon title at the World Athletics Road Running Championships in Riga, further establishing himself among the world's leading road runners. He made his full-marathon debut in 2024, winning the Valencia Marathon in 2:02:05. His progression continued in 2025 when he won both the London Marathon and Berlin Marathon, establishing himself as one of the leading marathoners in the world.
At the London Marathon on April 26, 2026, Sawe lined up against a formidable field that included Ethiopia's Yomif Kejelcha and Uganda's Jacob Kiplimo. Sawe crossed the finish line in 1:59:30, breaking the two-hour barrier in an official competitive marathon for the first time. He also took 65 seconds off the previous world record of 2:00:35 set by the late Kenyan marathoner Kelvin Kiptum.
Sawe's historic London performance was achieved while wearing Adidas footwear, adding another dimension to his relationship with the German sportswear giant. His induction into the Adidas Hall of Fame places the Kenyan among a select group of athletes associated with the brand. Despite the extraordinary high of 2026, Sawe's season has also been interrupted due to an injury, a slight stress fracture in his right tibia, and he may return to competition in 2027.
Key points
- Sabastian Sawe is the first person to break the 2-hour barrier in official race conditions.
- Sawe was inducted into the Adidas Hall of Fame on September 24.
- Sawe's journey to global athletics fame began in a village in Kenya's Rift Valley.
