Sabastian Sawe will compete at the Berlin Marathon in September following his historic sub-two-hour marathon performance earlier this year.
Race organisers confirmed on Wednesday that the 31-year-old Kenyan athlete will defend his Berlin Marathon title on September 27 after becoming the first person to complete a marathon in under two hours.
Sawe made history at the London Marathon in April when he crossed the finish line in 1 hour, 59 minutes, and 30 seconds while wearing a new model of high-performance racing shoes.
The remarkable achievement shattered the previous marathon world record and cemented his place among the greatest long-distance runners in history.
The Berlin Marathon is widely regarded as one of the fastest marathon courses in the world due to its flat layout and relatively few corners, making it a popular venue for world-record attempts.
Sawe won the previous edition of the Berlin Marathon with a time of 2:02:16 despite difficult weather conditions, including heat and humidity in the German capital.
“I am very happy to return to the Berlin Marathon this year and to defend my title,” Sawe said in a statement released by organisers.
The Kenyan runner added that his focus remains on proper preparation ahead of the race.
“Many people may be wondering what my goals are this time round. After coming off my win in London and sub-2 performance, I can only say that, like always, I plan to prepare myself to the best of my ability and to come to Berlin to honour this great event,” he stated.
Sawe also said he intends to run “as well and fast as possible,” adding that the final outcome would be determined on race day.
Athletics fans are now expected to closely watch whether Sawe can further lower his historic marathon time on one of the world’s fastest courses.
