Sabastian Sawe, Kenya’s newest marathon shooting star, will run the BMW BERLIN-MARATHON for the first time on Sunday. Sawe took his first two races at the classic distance in impressive style and now wants to make the next step. He is the favourite, but there is a strong field ready to challenge him. Among his rivals will be the defending champion Milkesa Mengesha of Ethiopia. No fewer than ten athletes are on the start list who feature personal bests of sub 2:05:00. This strength in depth is unique in the history of the BMW BERLIN-MARATHON.
With over 55,000 entries from 160 nations the 51st BMW BERLIN-MARATHON will once again be among the world’s biggest marathons.
Can Sabastian Sawe follow in the footsteps of Eliud Kipchoge in Berlin and how fast can he run? Kenya’s running legend Kipchoge has won the BMW BERLIN MARATHON five times, setting two world records in the process: he ran 2:01:39 in 2018 and 2:01:09 in 2022. It is this course record set by Kipchoge that Sabastian Sawe wants to challenge on Sunday, provided the weather does not turn too warm. If he attacks Kipchoge’s mark, the world record of 2:00:35 would not be too far away.
“I am in good shape. Berlin has the fastest course, so I want to run fast here,“ said 30-year-old Sabastian Sawe, who clocked 2:02:05 in Valencia last December and became the fifth fastest runner of all time in his debut marathon. In April Sawe also took the prestigious London Marathon with 2:02:27 and again heads the current list of the fastest times in the year. He already has very good experiences from a road race in the German capital: In 2023 Sabastian Sawe won the GENERALI BERLIN HALF MARATHON. His Italian coach Claudio Berardelli as well as his manager Eric Lilot say that Sabastian Sawe is in exceptionally good shape. However what is possible on Sunday in Berlin will also depend on the weather. Currently relatively warm temperatures between 19 and 21 Celsius are forecasted.
A year ago Milkesa Mengesha celebrated the greatest triumph of his career at the 50th BMW BERLIN MARATHON. The Ethiopian was the surprise winner of the anniversary race and improved his personal best to an impressive 2:03:17. “I am better prepared than I was a year ago and hope to run faster,“ said the 25-year-old. Gabriel Geay is the second fastest runner on the start list with his Tanzanian national record of 2:03:00. “I am happy to have the chance to compete in Berlin. I think I can run a personal best,“ said Gabriel Geay. Japan’s Kengo Suzuki also wants to attack his own national record of 2:04:56.
The organisers of the BMW BERLIN MARATHON intend to further strengthen their position as the fastest marathon in the world. To determine this ranking, the average of the ten fastest times ever run in a race is calculated. The BMW BERLIN MARATHON tops the list with 2:02:33.8 and has been in this position since 2006.
Germans Pfeiffer, Hendel and Welday aim for sub 2:07 times
Hendrik Pfeiffer returns to the BMW BERLIN MARATHON in top shape. The 32-year-old set two personal bests in the last two months: first he won the adidas runners City Night 10k race in Berlin with 28:27, then he clocked 61:28 at the half marathon in Larne, Northern Ireland. “My training was really good and for the first time ever I had no problems at all. I am in the best shape of my life. My goal is to run under 2:07:00,“ said Hendrik Pfeiffer, who currently is the fourth fastest German of all times with his PB of 2:07:14.
Sebastian Hendel, who competes for the Marathon Team Berlin that is associated with the BMW BERLIN-MARATHON, produced a surprise a year ago when he was the fastest German in Berlin with a PB of 2:07:33. “I was able to train well in the summer. Of course it depends a bit on the weather, but I am optimistic to run a personal best and would like to go sub 2:07:00,“ said the 29-year-old, who is fifth on the German all-time list.
Haftom Welday and Johannes Motschmann, another athlete of Marathon Team Berlin, could also produce fine performances, going into the race with personal bests of 2:08:24 and 2:10:39 respectively. “I am well prepared, hoping for a steady race and a finishing time of under 2:07:00,“ said Haftom Welday.
Elite Men for the BMW BERLIN-MARATHON:
Sabastian Sawe KEN 2:02:05 1. Valencia 24
Gabriel Geay TAN 2:03:00 2. Valencia 22
Milkesa Mengesha ETH 2:03:17 1. Berlin 24
Haymanot Alew ETH 2:03:31 3. Berlin 24
Guye Adola ETH 2:03:46 2. Berlin 17
Leul Gebresilase ETH 2:04:02 2. Dubai 18
Daniel Mateiko KEN 2:04:24 3. Valencia 24
Haftu Teklu ETH 2:04:42 5. Berlin 23
Chimdessa Debele ETH 2:04:44 6. Valencia 24
Kengo Suzuki JPN 2:04:56 1. Otsu 21
Chala Regasa ETH 2:05:06 2. Rotterdam 25
Samwel Mailu KEN 2:05:08 1. Wien 23
Yihunilign Adane ETH 2:05:37 1. Osaka 25
Tariku Novales ESP 2:05:48 11. Valencia 23
Kyohei Hosoya JPN 2:05:58 4. Osaka 25
Yuhei Urano JPN 2:06:23 13. Tokyo 25
Shuho Dairokuno JPN 2:07:12 6. Otsu 21
Hendrik Pfeiffer GER 2:07:14 3. Houston 24
Ezra Tanui KEN 2:07:28 1. Doha 25
Bernard Kimani KEN 2:07:28 10. Osaka
Hassan Chahdi FRA 2:07:30 5. London 24
Akira Akasaki JPN 2:07:32 6. Paris OG 24
Sebastian Hendel GER 2:07:33 17. Berlin 24
Shin Kimura JPN 2:07:34 11. Tokyo 20
Robert Ngeno KEN 2:07:35 1. Rom 25
Hicham Amghar MAR 2:07:45 4. Dongying 24
Haftom Welday GER 2:08:24 30. Valencia 23
Ken Nakayama JPN 2:08:24 20. Tokyo 25
Taiyo Iwasaki JPN 2:08:25 20. Osaka 25
Aoi Ota JPN 2:08:31 2. Gold Coast 25
Tachlowini Gabriyesos ART 2:09:00 19. Sevilla 23
Gao Peng CHN 2:09:34 8. Peking 23
Jin Yuasa JPN 2:09:43 1. Nobeoka
Paulo Paula BRA 2:09:51 19. Sevilla 22
George James GBR 2:10:02 5. Leuven 25
Peter Herzog AUT 2:10:06 12. London 20
Wang Wenjie CHN 2:10:23 5. Peking 24
Johannes Motschmann GER 2:10:39 9. London 24
Lemawork Ketema AUT 2:10:44 11. Vienna 19
More information is available online at: www.berlin-marathon.com
Please note: You may use the attached photo, showing Gabriel Geay, Sabastian Sawe and Milkesa Mengesha, at the press conference in Berlin, only in conjunction with this news release with the following credit: Sailer / photorun.net
