Sabastian Sawe pulls out of Berlin Marathon title defence after injury

Kenyan marathon world record holder Sabastian Sawe will not defend his Berlin Marathon title next month after an injury forced him to withdraw from the race.

Sawe confirmed the setback on Thursday, August 27, saying he was disappointed to miss the September 27 race after looking forward to returning to the German capital.

“It is with a heavy heart that I must inform you I am forced to withdraw from the BMW BERLIN-MARATHON due to an injury,” Sawe said.

“I had been looking forward to achieving something special on the streets of Berlin and crossing the finish line at the Brandenburg Gate.”

The organisers, SCC EVENTS, also confirmed his withdrawal and wished the Kenyan a full recovery.

Sawe's remarkable year takes an unexpected turn

The injury comes at a frustrating moment for Sawe, who has enjoyed one of the most extraordinary seasons in modern marathon running.

In April, the 31-year-old made history at the London Marathon by becoming the first athlete to officially run a marathon in under two hours.

He clocked 1:59:30, breaking the previous world record of 2:00:35 set by the late Kenyan marathoner Kelvin Kiptum at the 2023 Chicago Marathon.

Sawe's performance also moved him beyond Eliud Kipchoge's famous 1:59:40 exhibition run in Vienna in 2019, which was not eligible for the official world record because of the controlled conditions under which it was achieved.

His London victory was his first marathon since winning Berlin in September 2025.

That race had already established Sawe as one of the world's leading marathoners. He won in 2:02:16, despite warm conditions, and subsequently confirmed that he planned to return to Berlin to defend his crown.

That plan has now been put on hold.

No details given on injury

Sawe has not disclosed the nature or severity of the injury.

That means there is currently no confirmed timetable for his return to competition.

For now, his priority will be recovery rather than another attempt to lower his world record.

“I want to thank everyone who continues to support me, and I wish all the runners taking part a great race,” he said.

His withdrawal also removes one of the biggest attractions from a Berlin men's field that had been built around the world record holder's return.

Berlin loses defending champion

The BMW Berlin Marathon will take place on September 27, 2026.

Sawe had been expected to line up as both the defending champion and the fastest marathon runner in history.

The men's field will now be headed by other leading athletes, including Tanzania's Gabriel Geay, whose personal best is 2:03:00, while Kenya's Erick Sang and Richard Yator are also among the entries.

The women's race remains particularly strong.

Ethiopian world record holder Tigst Assefa is expected to compete, alongside Kenyan star Rosemary Wanjiru, among others.

The event is expected to attract about 60,000 participants from around the world, according to organisers.

For Kenyan fans, however, Sawe's absence will be the biggest talking point.

After his historic London run, there had been considerable interest in seeing what he could produce on Berlin's famously fast course.

Instead, the marathon world record holder will now watch from the sidelines.

Sawe's next race remains unknown

There is no indication yet of when Sawe will return to competition.

His withdrawal is a reminder of the physical demands placed on elite marathoners, particularly after a season in which he has already produced a performance that changed the record books.

For now, Sawe is choosing recovery over another race.

And with the marathon world record already in his name, the next question will not be whether he can make history again, but when he will be fit enough to try.

About the Author

Maureen Onyango is a journalist passionate about storytelling, life coaching and spiritual lessons. She studied at the Kenya Institute of Management and enjoys telling stories that inform, inspire and empower communities.