Kenyan marathon world record holder Sebastian Sawe has secured another major honour after being inducted into the Adidas Hall of Fame following his historic sub-two-hour run in London.
Sawe was inducted at Adidas’ global headquarters in Herzogenaurach, Germany, on Thursday, September 24, alongside Ethiopia’s Yomif Kejelcha, who finished second behind him in the record-breaking London Marathon.
As part of the honour, Sawe’s footprint was permanently preserved at the Adidas headquarters, creating a lasting reminder of the performance that changed marathon history.
The recognition comes five months after Sawe became the first man to officially run a marathon in under two hours.
He clocked 1:59:30 to win the 2026 London Marathon on April 26, breaking the previous world record of 2:00:35 set by the late Kelvin Kiptum in Chicago in 2023.
Kejelcha also broke the two-hour barrier in London, finishing in 1:59:41, while Uganda’s Jacob Kiplimo completed the podium in 2:00:28.
Sawe said the Adidas honour was unexpected and made the occasion even more special because he shared it with Kejelcha.
“Being honoured alongside Yomif Kejelcha made the occasion truly memorable,” Sawe said.
He said the recognition represented years of training, sacrifice and the support of people who had been part of his journey.
“I never imagined that at any point in my career or in my life, I would one day be inducted into a Hall of Fame,” Sawe said in a statement following the ceremony.
The Kenyan athlete attended the ceremony in the Adidas Adizero Adios Pro Evo 3, the same shoe model he wore when he set the world record in London.
Sawe’s latest honour comes as he continues his recovery from a leg injury that forced him to withdraw from his planned Berlin Marathon title defence.
His historic London performance was officially ratified as a world record by World Athletics in July, cementing his place in marathon history.