How did Sabastian Sawe’s new marathon world record become possible? On the trail of a historic run.
It is these rare moments when sports history is rewritten. At the marathon in London on Sunday, Kenyan Sabastian Sawe became the first person to stay under the magical two-hour mark in 1:59:30 hours, officially and without artificial conditions. A brand that was long considered unattainable – and whose case raises more questions than it answers.
“If you look at the field and the development of the last few years, something has already started,” says Daniel Fleckenstein from the Institute for Applied Training Science in Leipzig. In fact, three runners in London remained below the old mark: Behind Sawe, two other athletes, Yomif Kejelcha and Jacob Kiplimo, ran at world record level, and Kejelcha also stayed under two hours on his debut. “That shows that there was a certain dynamic,” said Fleckenstein. “If runners start the distance at a completely different basic speed, that’s not entirely surprising.”
Surprise in the second part of the run
What was more surprising was the nature of the breakthrough. “Without much fanfare in advance,” says middle and long-distance runner Maximilian Thorwirth. “And then two people in less than two hours – very few people expected that.” The race picture was particularly astonishing: a comparatively controlled start, followed by an extremely fast second part. “The fact that it accelerated so much at the back was the real surprise,” says Thorwirth.
The reasons for this jump in performance are not due to a single factor, but rather to the interaction. “There is no one driver,” emphasizes Fleckenstein. “Shoes play a role, no question about it – but it’s not just about the carbon plate, but also about the materials as a whole, such as the foam. At the same time, nutrition and training control have developed enormously.” Above all, the energy supply during the race is considered key: “In the past, marathons were sometimes run only with water, which is unthinkable today.”
According to information from those close to the athlete, Sawe is said to have consumed around 115 grams of carbohydrates per hour during the race – a total of around 230 grams. Values that were hardly considered possible in the marathon just a few years ago because it was assumed that the body could neither efficiently absorb such amounts nor tolerate them under competitive stress for a long time.
Shoes and diet are key
The development in catering is just one component of a larger change. Jan Fitschen, who became European 10,000 meter champion in 2006, also sees a clear development: “The shoes have gotten better, the diet has changed dramatically, and the training is more precise. In addition, there are simply more runners who fully concentrate on marathons and half marathons.” The base has become wider – and with it the top.
A lot has also changed in the training itself. “It has become more conscious and structured,” says Fleckenstein. Intensive units are followed by targeted regeneration phases, and threshold training has become more important. At the same time, overall training is more even and consistent throughout the year.
Fitschen also observes a higher intensity: “The long endurance runs today are often much faster than before – and often in the highlands at 2,000 or 3,000 meters. It’s impressive how hard you shoot.”
Another key lies in the course of the race. “Many top performances today come from a faster second part of the race,” explains Fleckenstein. This so-called negative splitting changes the logic of the marathon. Instead of exhausting yourself early on, speed is maintained – and maximized at the end. For Thorwirth it is clear: “This will all be analyzed in detail now.”
Between admiration and residual doubt
Despite all the progress, the question of boundaries remains open. “There are models that calculate marathon performance,” says Fleckenstein, “but new factors such as ‘durability’ – the ability to maintain a high pace for a long time – are not yet fully understood.” That’s why he doesn’t want to draw a firm boundary. Fitschen also believes: “Once a mark like this has fallen, it continues.”
But the more spectacular the performance, the more closely people look. “It is striking that there is currently unusually little mistrust,” says pharmacologist and doping expert Professor Fritz Sörgel. “A lot of respect – but little skepticism.” However, the matter is not entirely clear to him.
“Of course, there are still some doubts. The environment above all raises questions.” This includes Sawe’s trainer Claudio Berardelli, who was charged in Kenya in 2016 in connection with doping practices and previously looked after Rita Jeptoo, who was convicted of doping. “You can’t ignore that,” says Sörgel.
At the same time, he points out the special living and training conditions: “If someone lives and trains at an altitude of 2,000 meters for years, then it does something to them physically and probably also psychologically. In this respect, such an achievement should not come as a complete surprise.” What is also striking is the openness of the athlete himself, who went through an extensive testing program. “But the question is: How independent are such additional tests – and what role do economic interests play?”
“Development is far from over”
Because one factor always resonates: technology. “The influence of the manufacturers is enormous,” says Sörgel. “The hype surrounding the shoes is huge – and such achievements further fuel this hype.” The historic course of London remains a moment with a signal effect, but without a simple explanation.
The two-hour mark has fallen because many developments have peaked at the same time: training, nutrition, technology, talent, the perfect climatic conditions on this low-wind day in London.
The marathon has lost its last great frontier and has probably just begun to redefine itself. Or as Jan Fitschen puts it: “The development is far from over.”
