Sabastian Sawe/ FILETwo-time Olympic champion and former world marathon record holder Eliud Kipchoge believes Sabastian Sawe and Uganda’s Jacob Kiplimo could be the men to crack the mystical sub-two-hour marathon barrier.
The sub-two-hour debate has been one of the hottest topics in distance running since Kipchoge dipped under the two hours, though in an unofficial race.
On October 12, 2019, in Vienna, Austria, Kipchoge etched his name in history when he conquered the Ineos 1:59 Challenge, stopping the clock in 1:59:40, a run that, while unofficial, remains one of sport’s greatest feats of endurance.
Four years later, at the Chicago Marathon, the late Kelvin Kiptum came close in an official race, storming to a world record of 2:00:35.
As he exits the scene, Kipchoge says the next generation is ready to attack the mark.
“I think the two guys are good at the moment and I believe I have left the sport in good hands,” Kipchoge told LetsRun.com. “Step by step, they will break the record and run sub two hours.”
Sawe, 29, exploded onto the marathon scene in Valencia last December, stopping the clock at 2:02:05.
It was the second-fastest debut in history, only behind Kiptum’s 2:01:53 set on the same course in 2022.
This year, Sawe has been in scintillating form, opening his 2025 campaign with a commanding victory at the London Marathon on April 27, where he broke the tape in 2:02:27.
In September, Berlin organisers had billed him as the man to chase Kiptum’s record, but he fell short, clocking 2:02:16.
Meanwhile, Kiplimo launched his marathon career earlier this year in London, where he finished second in 2:03:37.
Last month in Chicago, the Ugandan took a swing at Kiptum’s mark, running 2:02:23.
Kipchoge insists it’s only a matter of time before both men rewrite history.
“It needs time; they need to grow in a good way. But they are ready,” he said.
The Kenyan legend knows all about rewriting records.
In 2018, Kipchoge shattered the world record in Berlin with 2:01:39, becoming the first man to dip under 2:02.
Four years later, he bettered his mark in the same city, clocking 2:01:09, a record that stood until Kiptum’s Chicago masterclass.
Away from records, Kipchoge issued a powerful message on clean sport, urging athletes to uphold integrity and avoid doping.
“Doping is unfortunate. The moment you realise that sport is a beautiful thing and you need to play cleanly, you will not dope,” he said.
“I want to urge everybody, let us play clean and give each other a fair chance to showcase talent.”
He called on all athletes to participate clean to further the sport.
“Let’s not use other methods to prove you are talented. That is wrong. If all of us embrace integrity at the highest level, we can truly enjoy this sport. Many people love and follow us, let’s compete fairly and cleanly.”
