22/04/2026
The spotlight at the London Marathon this weekend falls heavily on a fascinating duel between Sabastian Sawe and Jacob Kiplimo—two athletes at very different stages of their marathon journeys.
Sawe (31) has already established himself over 42.195km with a blistering personal best just over 2:02. He is proven, composed, and tactically sharp—especially dangerous in the final 10km—and is currently ranked number one in the marathon world rankings. His marathon history:
1. Valencia Marathon, 1 Dec 2024 – 2:02:05 (debut)
2. London Marathon, 27 Apr 2025 – 2:02:27 (2nd marathon)
3. Berlin Marathon, 21 Sept 2025 – 2:02:16 (3rd marathon)
In contrast, Kiplimo (25) is relatively new to the marathon. Known for his dominance in the half marathon, he is the current world record holder (57:20 at the Lisbon Half Marathon on 8 March 2026). He ran an even faster time of 56:42 in Barcelona on 16 February 2025, becoming the first human to break the 57-minute barrier, but that mark was not ratified by World Athletics due to illegal pacing assistance from running too close to the lead vehicle. Currently ranked second in the marathon world rankings. His marathon history:
1. London Marathon, 27 Apr 2025 – 2:03:37 (debut, 2nd place—lost to Sawe)
2. Chicago Marathon, 12 Oct 2025 – 2:02:23 (2nd marathon)
Elite men’s prize structure ; https://tinyurl.com/2tdtan4n
1. Champion USD55,000
2. Second USD30,000
3. Third USD22,500
Another incentive, time bonuses ;
1. 2:02:00 – USD150,000
2. 2:03:00 – USD100,000
3. 2:03:30 – USD75,000
4. 2:04:00 – USD50,000
Course record incentive USD25,000 : Kelvin Kiptum 2:01:25 – 23 Apr 2023.
World record incentive USD125,000 : Kelvin Kiptum 2:00:35 – 8 Oct 2023, Chicago Marathon.
This race could hinge on patience versus raw speed—Sawe’s experience against Kiplimo’s fearless approach. With a substantial prize structure and incentives, it could be a fast race, and we may see the sixth person in history run a marathon sub 2:02:00 or 2nd men to run a marathon sub 2:01:00 or new world record!
