Kenya’s Sebastian Sawe secured a remarkable victory at the Valencia Marathon in Spain on Sunday, clocking 2:02:05 in his debut appearance.
This performance not only earned him the win but also propelled him to fifth on the all-time list of marathon times.
At 28 years old, Sawe’s time makes him the second-fastest marathon debutant in the history of the Valencia Marathon, trailing only Kenya’s Kelvin Kiptum and Eliud Kipchoge, along with Ethiopia’s Kenenisa Bekele and Sisay Lemma.
Sawe, the 2023 world half-marathon champion, joins an elite group of athletes who have run faster times.
Kiptum, in 2022, set the record for the fastest marathon debut ever with a time of 2:01:53 in the same race.
In the women’s competition, Ethiopia’s Megertu Alemu smashed her personal best by nearly two minutes, winning the title in 2:16:49.
