Sabastian Sawe targets Eliud Kipchoge’s course record in Berlin

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Kenya’s newest marathon shooting star, Sabastian Sawe, will run the BMW BERLIN-MARATHON for the first time on Sunday 21 September, 2026.

Sawe took his first two races at the classic distance in impressive style and now wants to make the next step. He is the favourite, but there is a strong field ready to challenge him.

Among his rivals will be the defending champion Milkesa Mengesha of Ethiopia. No fewer than ten athletes are on the start list who feature personal bests of sub 2:05:00. This strength in depth is unique in the history of the BMW BERLIN-MARATHON.

With over 55,000 entries from 160 nations the 51st BMW BERLIN-MARATHON will once again be among the world’s biggest marathons.

Can Sabastian Sawe follow in the footsteps of Eliud Kipchoge in Berlin and how fast can he run? Kenya’s running legend Kipchoge has won the BMW BERLIN MARATHON five times, setting two world records in the process: he ran 2:01:39 in 2018 and 2:01:09 in 2022.

It is this course record set by Kipchoge that Sabastian Sawe wants to challenge on Sunday, provided the weather does not turn too warm. If he attacks Kipchoge’s mark, the world record of 2:00:35 would not be too far away.

“I am in good shape. Berlin has the fastest course, so I want to run fast here,“ said 30-year-old Sabastian Sawe, who clocked 2:02:05 in Valencia last December and became the fifth fastest runner of all time in his debut marathon.

In April Sawe also took the prestigious London Marathon with 2:02:27 and again heads the current list of the fastest times in the year. He already has very good experiences from a road race in the German capital. In 2023 Sabastian Sawe won the GENERALI BERLIN HALF MARATHON.

His Italian coach Claudio Berardelli as well as his manager Eric Lilot say that Sawe is in exceptionally good shape. However what is possible on Sunday in Berlin will also depend on the weather. Currently relatively warm temperatures between 19 and 21 Celsius are forecasted.

A year ago Milkesa Mengesha celebrated the greatest triumph of his career at the 50th BMW BERLIN MARATHON. The Ethiopian was the surprise winner of the anniversary race and improved his personal best to an impressive 2:03:17.

“I am better prepared than I was a year ago and hope to run faster,“ said the 25-year-old. Gabriel Geay is the second fastest runner on the start list with his Tanzanian national record of 2:03:00.

“I am happy to have the chance to compete in Berlin. I think I can run a personal best,“ said Geay.

Japan’s Kengo Suzuki also wants to attack his own national record of 2:04:56.

The organisers of the BMW BERLIN MARATHON intend to further strengthen their position as the fastest marathon in the world. To determine this ranking, the average of the ten fastest times ever run in a race is calculated.

The BMW BERLIN MARATHON tops the list with 2:02:33.8 and has been in this position since 2006.

Elite Men for the BMW BERLIN-MARATHON:

• Sabastian Sawe KEN 2:02:05 – 1. Valencia 24
• Gabriel Geay TAN 2:03:00 – 2. Valencia 22
• Milkesa Mengesha ETH 2:03:17 – 1. Berlin 24
• Haymanot Alew ETH 2:03:31 – 3. Berlin 24
• Guye Adola ETH 2:03:46 – 2. Berlin 17
• Leul Gebresilase ETH 2:04:02 – 2. Dubai 18
• Daniel Mateiko KEN 2:04:24 – 3. Valencia 24
• Haftu Teklu ETH 2:04:42 – 5. Berlin 23
• Chimdessa Debele ETH 2:04:44 – 6. Valencia 24
• Kengo Suzuki JPN 2:04:56 – 1. Otsu 21
• Chala Regasa ETH 2:05:06 – 2. Rotterdam 25
• Samwel Mailu KEN 2:05:08 – 1. Wien 23
• Yihunilign Adane ETH 2:05:37 – 1. Osaka 25
• Tariku Novales ESP 2:05:48 – 11. Valencia 23
• Kyohei Hosoya JPN 2:05:58 – 4. Osaka 25
• Yuhei Urano JPN 2:06:23 – 13. Tokyo 25
• Shuho Dairokuno JPN 2:07:12 – 6. Otsu 21
• Hendrik Pfeiffer GER 2:07:14 – 3. Houston 24
• Ezra Tanui KEN 2:07:28 – 1. Doha 25
• Bernard Kimani KEN 2:07:28 – 10. Osaka
• Hassan Chahdi FRA 2:07:30 – 5. London 24
• Akira Akasaki JPN 2:07:32 – 6. Paris OG 24
• Sebastian Hendel GER 2:07:33 – 17. Berlin 24
• Shin Kimura JPN 2:07:34 – 11. Tokyo 20
• Robert Ngeno KEN 2:07:35 – 1. Rom 25
• Hicham Amghar MAR 2:07:45 – 4. Dongying 24
• Haftom Welday GER 2:08:24 – 30. Valencia 23
• Ken Nakayama JPN 2:08:24 – 20. Tokyo 25
• Taiyo Iwasaki JPN 2:08:25 – 20. Osaka 25
• Aoi Ota JPN 2:08:31 – 2. Gold Coast 25
• Tachlowini Gabriyesos ART 2:09:00 – 19. Sevilla 23
• Gao Peng CHN 2:09:34 – 8. Peking 23
• Jin Yuasa JPN 2:09:43 – 1. Nobeoka
• Paulo Paula BRA 2:09:51 – 19. Sevilla 22
• George James GBR 2:10:02 – 5. Leuven 25
• Peter Herzog AUT 2:10:06 – 12. London 20
• Wang Wenjie CHN 2:10:23 – 5. Peking 24
• Johannes Motschmann GER 2:10:39 – 9. London 24
• Lemawork Ketema AUT 2:10:44 – 11. Vienna 19