Sebastian Sawe will receive a whopping Ksh8 million from the government after breaking the world marathon record during the London Marathon.

The Kenyan marathoner, who was welcomed by President William Ruto at State House, Nairobi, on Thursday, April 30, was presented with a cheque of Ksh5 million for breaking the marathon record.

Sawe was awarded another cheque of Ksh3 million for winning a gold medal for Kenya during the London Marathon.

At the same time, Sawe was gifted a customised number plate by President Ruto with the numbers 1:59:30.

The Head of State also announced he will gift Sawe a vehicle to put the customised number plates on.

“This young man, Sebastian, has done something very important. I gave him a number plate, but he’s wondering where he’ll put it. I asked him, and he said his car already has a number plate, so where will he put this one? Sebastian, I will buy you a car,” Ruto announced.

Speaking during the event, President William Ruto hailed Sawe for breaking the record in London, saying the achievement is a defining moment in the history of human endurance.

“What our very own Sebastian Sawe achieved last weekend on the streets of London – by running a marathon in under two hours is not merely a sporting triumph; it is a defining moment in the story of human endurance,” Ruto said.

The President noted that Sawe will be remembered by future generations for breaking a world record by running under two hours in a marathon.

“Future generations will look back on 26 April, 2026, as the day a man broke through a physical and psychological barrier long thought insurmountable; and the name forever attached to that moment will be Sebastian Sawe,” he stated.

Further, President Ruto said Sawe’s victory in London extends Kenya’s dominance in marathon running.

“Your victory also extends Kenya’s proud and unbroken dominance in marathon running. For over a decade, our nation has held the world record from Patrick Makau, who took it from Haile Gebrselassie in 2011, to the late Kelvin Kiptum, affirming beyond doubt that Kenya remains the true home of distance running excellence,” he added.

On Sunday, April 26, Sawe became the first man to finish a marathon under two hours with an official time of 01:59:30.

He shattered the previous world marathon record, which was set by the late Kelvin Kiptum at the Chicago Marathon 2023.

Sawe also surpassed Eliud Kipchoge’s time of 1:59:40 set during the INEOS 1:59 Challenge in Vienna in 2019.