KENYAN athletes Sabastian Sawe and Rosemary Wanjiru secured victories in the men’s and women’s divisions at the Berlin Marathon on Sunday.
Sawe completed the race in 2 hours, 2 minutes, and 16 seconds, marking his first triumph in the German capital in just his third marathon attempt.
The 30-year-old’s performance ranks as the ninth fastest in history and stands as the world’s best time for 2025, improving his previous London mark by 11 seconds.
Sawe expressed satisfaction with his effort despite warmer than usual conditions of 25 degrees Celsius with high humidity affecting the event.
“I felt good. You can’t change the weather of course. I was well prepared and I’m just pleased,“ he told Germany’s RTL network.
Japan’s Akira Akasaki claimed second place with a time of 2:06:15, while Ethiopia’s Chimdessa Debele rounded out the podium in 2:06:57.
Wanjiru became the first Kenyan woman to win the Berlin Marathon since 2018 after finishing second in the 2022 edition.
The 30-year-old established a commanding lead after 25 kilometres and held off a late charge from Ethiopia’s Dera Dida to win by just three seconds in 2:21:05.
Fellow Ethiopian Azmera Gebru finished third, crossing the line 24 seconds behind the champion.
The men’s race began at a record pace with Sawe and the leading group including 2024 winner Milkesa Mengesha maintaining world record tempo through the first 10 kilometres.
Sawe broke away from the pack after 15 kilometres and reached the halfway point in 60:16, but slightly slowed during the second half as temperatures rose.
Mengesha dropped out before the 30-kilometre mark, unable to continue in the challenging conditions. – AFP