Marathon world record-breaker Sabastian Sawe received a customized number plate and a whopping cash prize from the president of Kenya.
Sawe created history with a record run, winning the London Marathon in 1:59:30, shattering the previous benchmark of 2:00:35 set by his compatriot Kelvin Kiptum.
Following his achievement, the 31-year-old received a hero’s welcome at home and was honored by President William Ruto at the Statehouse in Nairobi on Thursday.
The 31-year-old received a hero’s welcome at home and was honored by President William Ruto at State House in Nairobi on Thursday.
He was offered Ksh5 million, a reward for Kenyan athletes who break a world record, and an extra Ksh3 million for a gold medal, taking his tally to Ksh8 million from the government.
In addition to this, the President also gifted him a car with a customized number plate reading ‘01 59 30’, highlighting his remarkable achievement.
Moreover, the runner gifted the President a pair of Adidas Adizero Adios Pro Evo 3 supershoes, which he used to break the historic marathon record.
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William Ruto praised Sebastian Sawe, saying his record is a testament to Kenya’s dominance in long-distance running.
“What Sabastian Sawe has done by running a marathon under two hours confirms Kenya’s place as the origin of wonder,” President Ruto said during the ceremony.
“If you are looking for the origin of wonder, it is right here, as we witnessed Sabastian Sawe make history and create new wonder for the world,” he added.
For the unversed, Kenya has dominated long-distance running, and its runners are superstars in the country. However, the pressure to break into the elite means that doping is a major problem in Kenya.
Two former Kenyan winners of the men’s race at the London Marathon, Wilson Kipsang, the victor in 2012 and 2014, and 2017 winner Daniel Wanjiru, are among those to have been subsequently banned.
In a bid to allay such suspicions about his own performances, Sawe has voluntarily subjected himself to extra drug testing, even paying $50,000 to be tested 25 times in the year by the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) before last year’s Berlin race.
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