East African rivalry will push marathon records even lower, says Tergat

 Former National Olympics Committee of Kenya (NOCK) president and former marathon world record holder Paul Tergat believes the fierce rivalry among East Africa’s distance-running powerhouses will continue to drive Kenyan athletes to even greater heights.

Tergat says the intense competition among Kenya, Ethiopia and Uganda is the perfect catalyst to push the marathon into uncharted territory.

Sebastian Sawe rewrote marathon history on April 26 in London by becoming the first man to break the two-hour barrier in an official marathon. He clocked a remarkable 1:59:30 to eclipse the previous world record of 2:00:35 set by the late Kelvin Kiptum in Chicago in 2023.

Sawe’s historic achievement came after a thrilling contest with Ethiopia’s Yomif Kejelcha and Uganda’s Jacob Kiplimo. Kejelcha, making his marathon debut, finished second in 1:59:41, while Kiplimo placed third in 2:00:28, with all three athletes bettering the previous world record.

Tergat believes that the level of competition is exactly what will inspire Sawe—and other Kenyan stars—to continue lowering the marathon world record.

“We love having competition because you cannot go all the way on your own and expect to perform well,” said Tergat. “I am happy that Kenya’s biggest challengers are all from East Africa—Ethiopia and Uganda.”

Despite the growing strength of Kenya’s regional rivals, Tergat insists the country remains the world’s leading producer of elite marathon runners.

“We have the biggest pool in terms of marathon runners. It’s a good thing to have rivalry because it makes you stronger and even more focused.”

The marathon great believes Sawe’s world record is unlikely to stand for long. “All these records being set will, at some point, be broken. Sawe is at his peak, and he is still young, so we hope he can push the barrier even further.”

Tergat also predicts that breaking two hours could soon become the new benchmark in men’s marathon running. “We are yet to see more athletes in the near future going under two hours. I know we will see a lot of them.”

Tergat knows better than most what it takes to redefine marathon history. In 2003, he became the first man to run under 2:05 after clocking 2:04:55 at the Berlin Marathon to break the previous world record of 2:05:38 set by Khalid Khannouchi in London a year earlier.

Watching Sawe achieve what many once believed impossible was a moment Tergat says he will never forget. “It was one of the most exciting things I have ever seen. It was exciting to watch a Kenyan break the record.”

He also believes advances in sports science and technology will continue to produce faster marathon performances. “Sport is evolving. With technology, things are changing, and I don’t think we have reached the peak yet.”

“The shoes athletes wear now are carbon-plated shoes, unlike in our time. The running vests we used were cotton, but now they are made from lighter materials that improve aeration.”

“The availability of gyms has also played a big role. In our time, if you didn’t live in a big city, you couldn’t access a gym. Now gyms are available even at the grassroots level.”

Sawe has already confirmed he will race at the Berlin Marathon on September 27, where expectations will once again be immense following his historic London triumph.

Tergat, who also set a world record in Berlin during his career, believes the German capital offers Sawe another opportunity to produce something special.

“I have competed in Berlin and broken the world record there. It’s a very flat course. We hope the weather will be favourable, just like we saw in London. If the weather is good, I am sure he will run under two hours again.”

Tergat also highlighted Sawe’s mentality as one of the key reasons behind his success. “I like Sawe’s mentality. You have to dream about something, carefully strategise for it and work towards it, not just wait for it to happen.”