The first man to complete a competitive marathon in under two hours arrived home to jubilant crowds, with his parents saying they 'jumped around the house' when he crossed the finish line.

Homecoming after historic run

Sabastian Sawe landed in Kenya to a hero's welcome days after becoming the first person to run a competitive marathon in under two hours. Supporters and family received him with jubilant celebrations, and Sawe said he had not expected the outpouring of public emotion.

The record and what it broke

Sawe set the mark at the London Marathon, shattering Kelvin Kiptum's previous world record of 2:00:35. The achievement ended a barrier that had defined the limits of marathon running for decades and, according to his peers, moves the goalposts for the entire sport.

Sawe became both the world record holder and the first competitor in history to finish a marathon under two hours in a sanctioned race — a distinction that separates his run from earlier time-trial efforts conducted outside standard race conditions.

Family reaction

Sawe's parents, Emily and Simion Sawe, described their reaction when their son crossed the finish line. "I jumped around the house," one of them said, speaking publicly about the moment. The family expressed pride at what they called a historic achievement for Kenya.

East Africa's marathon dominance

The record extended East Africa's grip on marathon running. At the same London Marathon, Ethiopia's Tigst Assefa retained the women's crown. Weeks earlier, Kenya's John Korir won the Boston Marathon in 2 hours, 1 minute, 52 seconds — the world's fifth-fastest time at that point — with compatriot Sharon Lokedi winning the women's race on a record-breaking day in Boston.

Sawe's sub-two-hour finish has since redefined what that fifth-fastest time means in context, resetting expectations for elite marathon competition.