Editor's Review
Kenyan marathoner Sabastian Sawe has been inducted into the Adidas Hall of Fame, receiving recognition for his achievements and journey in athletics.
Kenyan marathoner Sabastian Sawe has been inducted into the Adidas Hall of Fame, receiving recognition for his achievements and journey in athletics.
In a statement on Thursday, September 24, Sawe said the honour was unexpected and described the induction as a humbling moment in his career.
He reflected on the significance of being recognised by Adidas after years of training, competition and sacrifice.
"I never imagined that at any point in my career or in my life, I would one day be inducted into a Hall of Fame. Today, I feel incredibly humbled and privileged to be celebrated by Adidas in such a unique way," he wrote.
Sawr also highlighted the significance of receiving the honour in the presence of Adidas CEO Bjoern Gulden and members of the company's team.
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He said their presence added to the importance of the occasion.
"To receive this honour in the company of Adidas CEO Bjoern Gulden and many others from the Adidas team makes the moment even more special," he added.
Sawe was honoured alongside Ethiopian distance runner Yomif Kejelcha.
He said the recognition represented not only his individual achievements but also the effort and support behind his career.
"Being honoured alongside Yomif Kejelcha made the occasion truly memorable. It is a privilege to have my journey, the hard work, the sacrifices and the people who have been part of it recognized in this way," he concluded.
This development comes after Sawe's historic sub-two-hour marathon was officially ratified as a world record.
The achievement was ratified alongside eight other world records, including Tigst Assefa's women's marathon record, Mondo Duplantis' pole vault mark and Yan Ziyi's U20 women's javelin record.
Sawe and Assefa produced world-record performances in the men's and women's races while retaining their titles at the TCS London Marathon on April 26, 2026.
Sawe became the first man to break two hours in a record-eligible marathon when he clocked 1:59:30 in London.
His performance lowered the previous men's marathon world record of 2:00:35, set by the late Kelvin Kiptum in Chicago on October 8, 2023, by 65 seconds.
Sawe was involved in a historic battle with Kejelcha and Uganda's Jacob Kiplimo before making his decisive move with one mile remaining.
Sawe pulled away from his rivals to win in 1:59:30, while Kejelcha also broke the two-hour barrier after finishing in 1:59:41.
Kiplimo completed the podium in 2:00:28.
