SAWE SHINES BERLIN

Even though he fell short of the world record chase that had filled German capital city streets with tension, Sawe nonetheless produced a dominating hot-weather run, fending off stiff competition to register another best win to his rapidly growing résumé.

The men's race began in near-perfect conditions with the pack streaking through the first kilometre in 2:44 — a pace firmly within the two-hour mark. Sawe, reliable and calm, grabbed the front promptly, crossing 5K in 14:09 and 10K in 28:26, a split that was instantly drawn in comparison to Eliud Kipchoge's 2023 course record push and Kelvin Kiptum's world record bid in Chicago.

At the half marathon, Sawe went through in 60:16, quicker than Kiptum’s split from his 2:00:35 world record run. By 25K, though, the punishing rhythm began to show, and Sawe’s projected finishing time drifted from sub-2:01 to a more measured pace.

By 30K (1:26:06) and 35K (1:40:50), Sawe was still leading, though the course and world record marks were slipping out of reach. Behind him, Tanzania’s Gabriel Geay — runner-up in Valencia 2022 — tried to hold the pace, but Sawe’s strength proved decisive.

With support from packed Berlin crowds, the Kenyan surged over the last kilometres to ensure there was to be no last-minute thriller. He crossed the Brandenburg Gate in isolate grandeur, his arms held aloft, to clinch the victory at 2:02:15.

While not his best — Sawe ran 2:02:05 in Valencia last year — it was hugely impressive given the rise in heat in the second half of the race. His consistency, after wins in Valencia (2024) and London (2025), now makes him the one to beat entering the Olympic cycle.

To Kenya, the win represents another page in its prosperous tradition of running on Berlin's roads, the course where records tend to get re-written but where champions still need to prove themselves.