Kenya’s Sawe Falls Short Of Kiptum’s Record But Bags BIG On His First Marathon Attempt
Sebastian Sawe, the world half marathon champion, won the Valencia Marathon on Sunday, December 1, in a spectacular manner, almost missing the course record.
Sawe, making his marathon debut, was one of four Kenyans hoping to break Kelvin Kiptum’s record in Valencia in a highly anticipated event.
After establishing himself in the half marathons, Sawe embraced the challenge of the 42-kilometer distance, battling his Kenyan competitor Daniel Mateiko for much of the race.
Notably, the Ethiopian tandem of Birhanu Legese and Deresa Geleta were dominant in the early stages, threatening to transform the Valencia marathon into an Ethiopian-only affair.
However, in the final ten kilometers, 28-year-old Sawe surged away from Mateiko, building a commanding lead before crossing the line in first position in 2:02:05.
First marathon ✅
— FloTrack (@FloTrack) December 1, 2024
First marathon WIN ✅
World half marathon champion Sebastian Sawe put on a surge over the final half to win the Valencia Marathon in 2:02:05.
That's one of the fastest marathon debuts on record #ValenciaMarathon pic.twitter.com/vBwiJ2Ri5e
To put Sawe’s accomplishment in perspective, his time was only 20 seconds slower than Kelvin Kiptum’s track record established in 2022.
Deresa Geleta of Ethiopia finished second in the marathon at 02:02:38, with Mateiko coming in third at 02:04:24.
Hillary Kipkoech, the other Kenyan in the event, finished eighth, while Mathew Kimeli failed to reach the top ten.
A win in his marathon debut!
— FloTrack (@FloTrack) December 1, 2024
World half marathon champion Sebastian Sawe puts together a masterful Valencia Marathon win in 2:02:05, coming within 20 seconds of the course record #ValenciaMarathon pic.twitter.com/4WZxQK7KY8
Prize money: Following his performance, Sawe is likely to receive a stunning KSh10 million (70,000 Euros), which is awarded to the Valencia Marathon winner.
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The second-place finishers who raced under 2:04:30 seconds will receive KSh 6.8 million (50,000 Euros), while the third-place finisher (Daniel Mateiko) who completed the course under 2:04:30 will receive Ksh4.5 million (35,000 Euros).
The event was extra enticing with a KSh135 million prize for anyone who smashed the late Kiptum’s massive course record, but Sawe fell short by a few seconds.
In the women’s category, Ethiopians dominated, with Megertu Alemu finishing first in 2:16:49.
Stella Chesang of Uganda finished second in 2:18:26, with Tiruye Mesfin of Ethiopia coming in third in 2:18:35.
Kenya’s Sawe Falls Short Of Kiptum’s Record But Bags BIG On His First Marathon Attempt
