Late summer heat demands tribute
Sawe wins Berlin-Marathon-record missed
21.09.2025 – 12:27 p.m.Reading time: 2 min.
He had to run alone for a long time and was the first to reach the finish at the marathon in Berlin: Sabastian Sawe.
Berlin experienced a hot marathon on Sunday – and the favorites also felt that. The Kenyan Sabastian Sawe prevailed at the 51st edition and won in 2:02:16 hours. However, the 30-year-old remained well above the world record.
On the second half of the race, Sawe made the external conditions. In the moped weather and temperatures of up to 23 degrees, the 42.195 kilometers were an enormous burden even for world-class runners.
Sawe did not come close to the best stamps of his compatriots. Eliud Kipchoge had set up the world record at that time in Berlin three years ago with 2:01:09 hours. 2023 underbot Kelvin Kiptum undercut this time in Chicago with 2:00:35 hours – before he was fatal in February 2024 in a car accident.
Ultimately, Sawe also stayed just above his own best time, but increased his own world year best from the success in London. For his victory and as a bonus for his time, he receives a total of 60,000 euros. “I’m just very happy, that was a great performance,” said Sawe at RTL. “Of course you can’t change the weather.”
Secondly, with almost four minutes behind the Japanese Akira Akasaki (2:06:15) in front of the Ethiopier Chimdessa Debele (2:06:57). Hendrik Pfeiffer, which was not nominated for the World Cup in Tokyo, was the best German. In 2:09:14 minutes, however, Pfeiffer missed the targeted mark of 2:07 hours. A total of 55,146 runners had registered for the race.
Immediately after the start signal, which Berlin’s ruling mayor Kai Wegner (CDU) gave, Sawe, last year’s winner Milkesa Mengesha from Ethiopia and Gabriel Geay from Tanzania left off the rest of the field. At 18 degrees it was already quite warm at 9.15 a.m., and there was an air humidity of around 80 percent. Nevertheless, the pacemakers were on the road in the world cord.
The half marathon brand passed the long-lasting Sawe together with two remaining cruise control engineers as planned in 1:00:15 hours. After 23 kilometers, Sawe was on his own.