Sabastian Sawe receives hero’s welcome in Kenya after sub-two hour marathon feat | Kenya

Embraced, applauded and garlanded, the first man to run an official marathon in under two hours returned to his Kenyan village a hero.

Sabastian Sawe, who stunned the world by running 1 hour 59 minutes 30 seconds at the London Marathon last weekend, flew to his hometown in western Kenya on Thursday on a Kenyan military plane normally reserved for special operations.

Waiting on the runway of a small airport 2,150 meters above sea level, Lydia Sawe was shaking with anxious excitement, her hands clasped around a giant bouquet of orange roses, as her husband’s plane touched down.

The plane door opened and the 31-year-old runner locked eyes with his wife and walked into her arms, smiling. “Congratulations, darling,” he whispered into her ear, tears streaming down his face.

Sawe, who broke the world record with 65 seconds, signed the visitors’ book and hugged enthusiastic friends and locals in the small VIP lounge at Eldoret airport. He was given a wreath made from the synendet plant by Lydia, symbolizing victory within the Kalenjin ethnic group, and was fed fermented milk from a calabash to celebrate his victory.

“Last Sunday’s victory was not just my victory, it was a victory for all of us,” he said in Kiswahili, addressing the enthusiastic local crowd who had gathered to greet him at the airport entrance.

“I’m so happy to be home and… to feel so welcome, I’m so grateful,” she told the Guardian.

Celebrity runners are nothing new in this high-altitude region of Kenya. Life in the towns and villages around the city of Eldoret in the Great Rift Valley is about growing crops, tending to livestock, and training the next generation of world-record distance runners.

The red dirt roads that run between modest farmhouses and cornfields are pounded every day by the coaches of thousands of hopeful, determined young runners.

People who live and grow up in Eldoret can often be good distance runners because people who live and train at altitude produce more red blood cells to cope with the low-oxygen environment. When racing at lower altitudes, higher numbers of red blood cells can increase oxygen delivery to muscles, resulting in better endurance and performance.

Sabastian’s grandmother, Vivian Kimaru, also achieved success in sports. “I competed in the 1500 and 800 meters at the 1972 Munich Olympic Games and reached the semi-finals,” he said. “I’m very proud,” he said of his grandson, speaking at his parents’ home in Ndonyongaria village, where the celebrations were continuing.

People sat under tents and women danced on the grass amid heavy rain as traditional music blared from the sound system. After the speeches and prayers, rice, sautéed cabbage, beef stew and chapati were served.

Sawe’s victory on Sunday was followed by days of hustle and bustle, and he arrived in Kenya on Wednesday night to chaotic crowds at Nairobi’s international airport.

At a lavish welcome event and breakfast held at the presidential residence, president William Ruto, also from Eldoret and from the same Kalenjin community, said Sawe’s achievement was “not just a sporting triumph but a defining moment in the story of human endurance.”

He presented Sawe with two checks totaling 8 million shillings (£46,000), one for winning the race and the other for breaking the world record. Sawe also received license plates showing his record time. In return, Sawe gave the president one of his racing shoes with the number 1.59.30 written on the sole in marker.

Running in and around Eldoret is not a hobby or pastime; It is often seen as a path to wealth unattainable by other means. Runners are encouraged by the desire for a better life through sponsorship deals, race wins and athletic scholarships at foreign universities and prestigious academies.

Emmy Biwott, 45, principal of Uasin Gishu district public primary school, who arrived at the airport to greet Sawe, said athletes were “our cash crop”. “90% of the people in good shape in the region are athletes,” he said.

Toby Tanser, author of books on Kenyan running and founder of Shoe4Africa, a running and AIDS awareness charity, said money was the motivation behind the region’s running success. six of them The 10 fastest male marathoners in history and four fastest women The marathoners came from Kenya.

In Sawe’s village, Tanser said: “You won’t see a single recreational runner, charity runner or someone who runs just for health. People here run to escape poverty. Almost all the famous Kenyan runners come from the village environment.”

Away from the crowd, her mother-in-law sat with close family and friends in Lydia’s living room. How would the life of his family consisting of three sons change? “I can’t even imagine,” he said.

“It’s going to be very strange,” he said of the future. “We will be [going] somewhere. I will be someone.