Kenyan long-distance runner Sebastian Save wrote history, and the welcome in his homeland was as befits the event – spectacular.
On Sunday, at the London Marathon, Save achieved a feat that has been talked about for years – he finished the race in 1:59.30 and thus became the first athlete to officially run the marathon in less than two hours. At the same time, he broke the world record, surpassing the previous one by as much as 65 seconds.
Upon his return to Kenya, he was given a grand welcome. The plane on which he arrived in Nairobi was greeted with water cannons, and among the first to meet him were family members and Sports Minister Salim Mvurija, who called his success “a victory for the entire nation”.
A day later, an official ceremony was held, where President William Ruto pointed out that Save’s result represented a “watershed moment in the history of human endurance”. The fastest marathon runner in the world was awarded a cash prize of 61,000 dollars, as well as a car.
Sava reciprocated with a symbolic gift – he gave the president a signed sneaker that he wore during the historic race in London.
Already at the airport in Nairobi, he said that he was proud of the achieved result, but also that he did not plan to stop there, hinting that he wanted to further push the boundaries and improve his own record.
Interestingly, his journey into professional sports began thanks to his uncle Abraham Chepkirwok, a former Olympian at 800 meters who competed for Uganda in Beijing in 2008.
Save has shown top quality before – in 2024, he triumphed in Valencia with a time of 2:02.05, and arrived in London as the defending champion. This time, however, he surpassed both his own and all the world’s expectations.
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