Marathon Record-Breaker Sabastian Sawe Welcomed Home as a Hero

Sabastian Sawe, the 31-year-old Kenyan runner, stunned the world over the weekend by completing the London Marathon in 1 hour, 59 minutes and 30 seconds, shattering the world record by 65 seconds. On April 30, he landed aboard a Kenyan military aircraft at Eldoret Airport in western Kenya, where hundreds of fans and family were waiting.

At the airstrip, 2,150 meters above sea level, his wife Lydia Sawe, clutching a bouquet of orange roses, trembled with anticipation. When the plane touched down, Sawe rushed into her arms. 'Congratulations, my love,' she whispered, tears streaming down her face.

At the airport, Sawe was presented with a victory wreath made from sinendet leaves — a symbol of triumph among the Kalenjin community — and Lydia offered him fermented milk from a gourd. Speaking in Kiswahili, he said: 'Sunday's victory was not just mine; it belongs to all of us.' He expressed gratitude for the warm reception.

The highland region is famous for producing long-distance runners. Training at altitude boosts red blood cell production, enhancing endurance when competing at lower elevations. Sawe's grandmother, Vivian Kimaru, competed in the 800m and 1,500m events at the 1972 Munich Olympics, reaching the semifinals. She is immensely proud of her grandson.

Following his victory, Sawe's schedule has been hectic. On the evening of April 29, he arrived in Nairobi to a crowd of admirers. The next day, President William Ruto, a fellow native of Eldoret, hosted a celebratory banquet at the presidential palace. Ruto hailed Sawe's achievement as 'a defining moment in the history of human endurance' and presented him with two cheques totalling 8 million Kenyan shillings (about £46,000) and a license plate inscribed with his record time. In return, Sawe gave the president a pair of running shoes marked with 1.59.30 in marker pen.

In Eldoret, running is not a hobby but a pathway out of poverty. Emmy Biwott, principal of a primary school in Uasin Gishu county, said: 'Athletes are our export crop. 90% of successful people in this region are athletes.' According to running author Toby Tanser, six of the ten fastest male marathon runners in history and four of the fastest women come from Kenya. Tanser observed: 'In Sawe's village, no one runs for fun, for charity, or just for health. People run to escape poverty.'

In the living room of her in-laws' home, Lydia, a mother of three boys, sat with family and close friends. When asked how life might change, she said: 'I can't imagine. It will be so strange. We'll go somewhere. I'll become someone.'