Sabastian Sawe rocketed to the top of the AbbottWMM leaderboard with an astonishing win at the BMW BERLIN-MARATHON.

The Kenyan sensation, in only his third 26.2-mile appearance, missed his own personal best by 11 seconds, clocking 2:02:16 to seal his second win in this year’s series.

Sawe was on sub-two-hour pace in the first 10 kilometers behind his T formation pace-making group, registering 28:26 at that marker, and clocked 60:16 at the halfway mark to stay in contention for a tilt at Kiptum’s 2:00:35 set in Chicago two years ago.

The 30-year-old was dealing with soaring temperatures in the latter half of the race and began to lose pacemakers rapidly, ending up all alone before the 30km mark.

The heat and the loss of his accomplices in his bid to make history took a heavy toll on Sawe, who was unable to repeat the trick of running a quicker second half that he had pulled off in Valencia last year and in London in April.

Japan’s Akira Akasaki claimed a surprise second place in 2:06:15 with Chimdessa Debele third in 2:06:57.

Sawe’s compatriot Rosemary Wanjiru fended off a late charge from Ethiopia’s Dera Dida to earn her first Berlin title in the women's race, adding to her Tokyo victory in 2023.

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