First sub-2-hour marathoner Sabastian Sawe says improvement 'a matter of time'
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.
"In 22 years I've been coaching in Kenya I thought I'd seen pretty much everything, but then Sabastian started to show me something which I thought was almost impossible."
Beradelli also said he believes Sawa can run faster.
"I also think Sabastian hasn't reached his maximum potential," Beradelli said. "This is only his fourth marathon."
Uganda's Jacob Kiplimo, who placed third in London, set the mark for the third-fastest marathon time in history. His 2:00:28 was seven seconds faster than Kiptum's finish at the 2023 Chicago Marathon.
Kenyan Amos Kipruto, who placed fourth in London, turned in the seventh-fastest marathon time in history, with a 2:01:39. That result sits just behind Kiptum and Kipchoge's 2:01:09 and 2:01:39 from the 2022 and 2019 Berlin Marathons.
Kenyan John Korir's winning time of 2:01:52 from the 2026 Boston Marathon, which set a course record, would be among the Top 11 fastest times in history, but that time from the second of seven annual Abbott World Marathon Majors is not officially recognized.
Tadese Takele ran a 2:03:37 to win the 2026 Tokyo Marathon, first major marathon of the year. He also won the 2025 Tokyo Marathon with a time of 2:03:23, which ranks No. 42 in history.
The 2026 Sydney Marathon, the fourth major of the season, will be Aug. 30 in Sydney. Ethiopian Hailemaryam Kiros won the 2025 title in 2:06:06.
Copyright 2026 UPI News Corporation. All Rights Reserved.
This story was originally published April 27, 2026 at 8:29 AM.