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First sub-2-hour marathoner Sabastian Sawe says improvement 'a matter of time'
TL;DR
Sabastian Sawe of Kenya won the London Marathon with a record time of 1:59:30, becoming the first official sub-2-hour marathoner. He believes further improvements are 'only a matter of time.'
Key points
- Sabastian Sawe won the London Marathon.
- Sawe finished with a time of 1:59:30.
- He is the first official sub-2-hour marathoner.
- Yomif Kejelcha finished second at 1:59:41.
- Sawe believes further improvements are possible.
Mentioned in this story
London
Sabastian SaweYomif KejelchaLondon Marathon
Sabastian Sawe of Kenya wins the London Marathon with the first sub two-hour marathon time of 1:59:30 on Sunday in London. Photo by Neil Hall/EPA
April 27 (UPI) -- Sabastian Sawe had greater speed on his mind in the wake of the first official sub-2-hour marathon, saying a better result is "only a matter of time."
Sawe, 31, became the first runner to officially break the barrier when he crossed the finish line in 1 hour, 59 minutes, 30 seconds to win Sunday's London Marathon.
The Kenyan edged Ethiopian Yomif Kejelcha, who made his marathon debut, by 11 seconds. Kejelcha became the second person to run a sub-2-hour marathon, at 1:59:41.
"It was possible to run faster yesterday," Sawe told BBC Sport on Monday. "Even 1:58 is possible."
Marathon legend Eliud Kipchoge became the first person to run a sub-2-hour marathon in 2019, but his effort was not official because standard competition rules were not followed.
Sawe was tested dozens of times by the Athletics Integrity Unit over the last year to ensure his results would stand. He then laced up gleaming white Adidas Adios Pro 3s and dashed 26.2 miles toward history.
He averaged 4:33 minutes per mile for the race, with a negative split of 59:01 over the final 13.1 miles. Sawe sprinted an average speed of more than 13 mph. He broke Kelvin Kiptum's previous marathon record time of 2:00:35 by more than a minute.
"I think I've shown them nothing is impossible," Sawe told reporter Sunday in London. "Everything is possible with the matter of time."
Sawe's coach, Claudio Beradelli, called the Kenyan "a gift." He said his physiological makeup, attitude and character fuel his dominance.
"Definitely physiologically, Sabastian has to be a good one," Beradelli told reporters in London. "But all the pieces come together perfectly, because of his attitude, because of his character.
"I'm still in the process of discovering who Sawe is. He is an exceptional human being. He has such a positive energy, but he's so humble at the same time.
Q&A
Who is Sabastian Sawe and what record did he achieve?
Sabastian Sawe is a Kenyan runner who became the first official sub-2-hour marathoner, finishing the London Marathon in 1:59:30.
What was the time of the second runner in the London Marathon?
The second runner, Yomif Kejelcha from Ethiopia, finished the marathon in 1:59:41.
What does Sabastian Sawe mean by saying improvement is 'a matter of time'?
Sawe suggests that he believes he can achieve even better marathon times in the future.
When did Sabastian Sawe break the sub-2-hour marathon barrier?
Sawe broke the sub-2-hour marathon barrier on April 27 during the London Marathon.
