• ATHLETICS

• Frank Rotich 3 days ago

Why Sawe could earn up to Sh129m after breaking marathon glass ceiling in London

Kenya’s Sabastian Sawe could earn up to Sh129 million after making history at the London Marathon by becoming the first man to run an official marathon in under two hours.

Sawe stunned the athletics world on Sunday after clocking 1 hour, 59 minutes and 30 seconds to win the race and break the previous world record of 2:00:35, which was set by the late Kelvin Kiptum in Chicago in 2023.

The Kenyan produced a sensational performance in London, finishing ahead of Ethiopia’s Yomif Kejelcha, who came second in 1:59:41, while Uganda’s Jacob Kiplimo finished third in 2:00:28.

For winning the race, Sawe is guaranteed 55,000 US dollars, which is about Sh7.1 million.

He will also receive an extra 125,000 dollars (around Sh16.1 million) for breaking the world record and another 25,000 dollars (about Sh3.2 million) for setting a new course record.

Sawe is also expected to earn a share of a 150,000-dollar bonus awarded to athletes who ran under two hours and two minutes. His share stands at 37,500 dollars, approximately Sh4.8 million.

This brings his confirmed earnings from the London Marathon to about Sh31.3 million. However, the amount could rise significantly through appearance fees and sponsorship bonuses.

Sawe is sponsored by Adidas and wore the new Adizero Adios Pro Evo 3 shoes during his record-breaking run.

Reports indicate that his sponsors could reward him heavily for breaking the world record and becoming the first athlete to officially run a marathon under two hours.

According to reports, Sawe could take home close to 1 million US dollars, equivalent to about Ksh129 million, from prize money, bonuses and endorsement deals following his historic achievement.

His latest milestone now places him among Kenya’s biggest athletics stars as he continues to build his legacy on the global stage.