Record-breaker says London Marathon win was ‘a victory for all of us’ as he is greeted by family and friends in Eldoret
Hugged, cheered and adorned with garlands, the first man to run an official marathon in under two hours has returned as a hero to his home village in Kenya.
Sabastian Sawe, who stunned the world when he clocked 1h 59m 30s in the London Marathon last weekend, flew in a Kenyan military plane normally reserved for special operations on Thursday to his home region of western Kenya.
Waiting on the runway at a small airport perched on an escarpment 2,150 metres above sea level, Lydia Sawe was trembling with anxious excitement, hands clasped around a huge bouquet of orange roses, as her husband’s aircraft touched down.
The plane door opened and the 31-year-old runner locked eyes with his wife and, beaming, made a beeline for her arms. “Congratulations, darling,” she whispered in his ear, tears streaming down her face.
