Disbelief, admiration, worship… Sports in general, and athletics in particular, has surrendered to the feat achieved by Sabastian Sawe in the London marathon, a wall, the two-hour wall, which seemed unbreakable and was taken down in strides for 1:59:30... with a very specific work behind it.
For marathoners, running the 42.195 kilometers in less than two hours had been a dream that became a reality on April 26, 2026. This date marks the turning point of the new era in which a distance enters in which names like Abebe Bikila, Eliud Kipchoge or Kelvin Kiptum, among others, make up its history, which now has a new chapter written by Sabastian Sawe.
There are many factors that have made it possible for the 31-year-old Kenyan to break down another barrier. Innovation and technological advances in sneakers, for example, have been key in the revolution of brands from recent years. Its greater reactivity – with an effect similar to that of a spring – has resulted in improvements of such magnitude that it took World Athletics to have to implement regulations that regulate its use.
Sawe wore the latest Adidas model on Sunday in London, the Adizero Adios Pro Evo 3, a shoe that only weighs 97 grams and was born to revolutionize the marathon. “The issue of shoes is important,” Chema Martínez, European silver medalist in the marathon in 2010, explained to MARCA. “Some athletes benefit more and others less, but the truth is that with their emergence the concept of brands has changed. It is a new athletics.”
Some athletes benefit more and others less, but the truth is that with its emergence the concept of brands has changed. It’s a new athletics
Martín Fiz, European and world marathon champion, agrees in this regard, and continues to look for victories in the ‘majors’ of his category. “The shoes do not detract from the quality of the athletes,” he assures this newspaper. “But it is true that, With these carbon plates, the footwear drives more and, above all, makes the athlete less fatigued, so they can train more and in competitionreach the final meters more freshly. It is difficult to calculate, but since the emergence of this type of shoes the improvements can be 2-3 minutes. Abel (Antón) and I always say what we could have done with these shoes. Well, probably three minutes less on our marks (2.08:05)”.
Footwear drives more and, above all, makes the athlete less muscularly fatigued. It is difficult to calculate, but since the emergence of this type of shoes the improvements can be 2-3 minutes
Sawe.
Sawe’s stratospheric performance is still difficult for many to classify. Tariku Novales, Spanish distance record holder (2:05.48) who is now training in Ethiopiaassures that “I am still in shock. Nothing related to sport had left me like this. I saw the marathon live and then recorded. It continues to amaze me what both Sawe, especially, Kejelcha and Kiplimo did yesterday. It was a brutal way to destroy the two-hour barrier.”
I’m still in shock. Nothing related to sports had left me like this. It has been a brutal way to destroy the two-hour barrier
In this sense, Tariku insists that “we are not yet aware of how barbaric it is. Sawe has broken one of the most unimaginable limits of our sport. I believe that now we will more frequently see marks around 2.01. Kiptum had opened a new chapter in the marathon, but Sawe has directly opened a new story.”
Kiptum had opened a new chapter in the marathon, but Sawe directly opened a new story
The nutrition revolution
Beyond the quality of the athletes and technological evolution, another factor to take into account in what happened in the London marathon is the revolution that nutrition is experiencing in sports, which plays a key role in energy solvency and subsequent recovery.
Thus, Sawe is sponsored by the supplementation brand Maurten, which has worked with the athlete in Kenya to train the assimilation of carbohydrates with products, a new range of hydrogels, which have a greater energy contribution without gastrointestinal consequences. “I think it is the most important revolution,” former athlete Jesús España told MARCA. “Before, in a race, an athlete could ingest around 40 grams of carbohydrates per hour because a greater intake could cause stomach discomfort. Now, however, with new products that amount reaches 120 grams of carbohydrates, so the limiting factor at an energy level decreases. Muscle fatigue is reduced.”
Before, during a race, an athlete could ingest around 40 grams of carbohydrates per hour. Now they can triple that amount, so the limiting factor at an energy level decreases.
Furthermore, another factor is the path that athletes now follow until the marathon, something that both Spain and Fiz point out. “Before, athletes like Kipchoge, Bekele and even us, both Abel and I, started in cross country, then we competed for years on the track and moved on to the marathon at an older age,” recalls Fiz. “Now athletes are specialists in the marathon almost from the beginning. And that results in greater enthusiasm, strength, speed, and endurance.”
