Echoes of Kiptum as Sabastian Sawe shreds Valencia field

World half marathon champion, Sabastian Sawe of Kenya, has pocketed a cool Sh10.7 million after winning Valencia Marathon in the fifth fastest time ever over the distance.

Sawe, who was making his debut in marathon running, took charge of yesterday’s race in the last seven kilometres, and ran tactfully to win in a blistering two hours, two minutes and five seconds.

Sawe’s time is the fifth fastest over the distance behind the late Kelvin Kiptum’s world record of 2:00:35 from his victory in the 2023 Chicago Marathon, and 2016 and 2020 Olympics marathon champion Eliud Kipchoge’s time of 2:01:09 from his victory in the 2022 Berlin Marathon.

Ethiopians Kenenisa Bekele (2:01:41 from 2019 Berlin Marathon) and Sisay Lemma (2:01:48 from 2023 Valencia Marathon) hold the third and fourth fastest times in the marathon. Sawe’s victory ignited memories of the late Kiptum.

Like Kiptum in 2022, Sawe on Sunday ran his very first marathon race on the same course and won. Kiptum won in a course record time of 2:01:53. Although Sawe’s winning time was outside the course record by 18 seconds, he dominated his opponents the same way Kiptum did two years ago.

Afterwards, Sawe said he is happy to have won against a strong field that had the three fastest Ethiopians in Bekele, Sisay and Legese.

He said his training group of  Tokyo Marathon champion Benson Kipruto, 2019 world marathon bronze medallist Amos Kipruto, the 2022 and 2023 Boston Marathon champion Evans Chebet, Vincent Kipchumba and Cyprian Kotut had convinced him to upscale to the marathon.

“They helped learn the intrigues of marathon running, and they have been very supportive,” said Sawe.

“It was my first marathon race, so I was under no pressure to win.” He said the victory gives him more confidence and courage to run races in future.

The victory puts Sawe in a good position to gun for a place in Kenya’s marathon team for the 2025 Tokyo World Athletics Championships.

The 28-year-old Sawe beat Ethiopia’s Deresa Geleta (2:02:38) by 33 seconds as compatriot Daniel Mateiko claimed the last podium place in personal best 2:04:24.

At the same time, Megertu Alemu upheld Ethiopia’s dominance for the third consecutive year winning the women’s race in a time of 2:16:49.

The world of athletics expected a thriller after the race organisers promised a jaw-dropping 1m euros (Sh130 million) to any athlete who would set the world record in the race.

And there was money for any athlete who broke the course record of 2:04:30 (women) and 2:20:00 (men). Organisers promised $78,793.50 (Sh10.7 million) for the course record, which both Sawe and Alemu missed.

In 2022, the late Kiptum won the race in the first sub-2:02 time, winning in 2:01:53. In 2023, Ethiopia’s Sisay Lemma improved the course record to 2:01:48.

In 2022, Ethiopia’s Amane Beriso won the women’s race in a course record of 2:14:58, and her compatriot Worknesh Degefa won the race in 2:15:51 last year.

The jostling for men’s title started unfolding early in the race.

Lemma and three-time Olympics gold medallist Kenenisa Bekele, stayed together in the first half of the race before the pace started to take its toll on the athletes, Bekele among the early casualties.

The battle for the title was then reduced to a pack of six; Sawe, Mateiko, Geleta, Lemma and Birhanu Legesa as they cruised through 30km.

Lemma then dropped back, dashing his hopes of a title defence as Mateiko led the pack for two kilometres before Sawe and Geleta joined him after the 35km mark.

Then Sawe made his move to hit the front and never looked back as Geleta and Mateiko battled to keep up with the pace.

It was Alemu’s biggest marathon victory of her career as she edged out Uganda’s Stella Chesang (2:18:26) in second place and his compatriot Tiruye Mesfin (2:18:35) finished in third place.