BY ROSEMARY UGIOMOH
The drinks station at mile 19 is where London Marathon dreams go to sip and survive. On April 27, 2025, Sabastian Sawe decided it was where history would be made instead.
While 8 other elites slowed to grab bottles under a blazing London sun, the 29-year-old Kenyan ghosted past them. No water. No hesitation. Just the quiet sound of carbon-plated shoes eating tarmac as he launched the move that would define the 45th London Marathon. 07bb
90 minutes into the race, the men’s field was still stacked: half-marathon world record holder Jacob Kiplimo, defending champ Alexander Mutiso Munyao, and legend Eliud Kipchoge were all there. Sawe had other plans. 07bb
He surged. Kiplimo was the only one who tried to go with him, but the gap only grew. By the time Tower Bridge faded behind them, Sawe was running his own race. 3694
He crossed the line on The Mall in 2:02:27. It wasn’t the world record — that still belonged to the late Kelvin Kiptum’s 2:01:25 from 2023. But it _was_ the second-fastest time ever run on the London course, and it gave Kenya its fourth straight men’s title. 07bb341687a7
Jacob Kiplimo came home 70 seconds back for second. Kipchoge, 40, finished 6th. 3694d477
Sawe wasn’t new to winning big. He’d announced himself just 5 months earlier, winning the Valencia Marathon in 2:02:05 on debut — the fastest marathon of 2024. London was only his second marathon. d477
After the race he called it the “proudest moment of my life”. The win capped a perfect 2025 for him: unbeaten over 42km, London champ in April, Berlin champ in September with 2:02:16. World Athletics later named him Male Out of Stadium Athlete of the Year. 34164f80
That day, Tigst Assefa also shattered the women’s-only world record in 2:15:50, but in the men’s race, it was Sawe’s cold-blooded drinks-station ambush everyone was talking about. 3694. Biggest career victory .
