Sabastian Sawe will not defend his Berlin Marathon title next month after an injury forced the Kenyan world record holder to withdraw from the race.
The 31-year-old confirmed the decision on Thursday, ending hopes of seeing him return to the German capital just months after making marathon history in London.
Sawe had been due to race on September 27. He won the Berlin Marathon last year in 2:02:16 and had planned to return as defending champion after his remarkable performance in London in April.
The nature of Sawe’s injury has not been disclosed.
“It is with a heavy heart that I must inform you I am forced to withdraw from the BMW Berlin Marathon due to an injury,” Sawe said in a statement released on Thursday.
He said he had been looking forward to racing through Berlin and finishing at the Brandenburg Gate.
“I had been looking forward to achieving something special on the streets of Berlin and crossing the finish line at the Brandenburg Gate,” he said.
Sawe also thanked the race organisers and his supporters, while wishing the athletes taking part well.
The withdrawal comes after the most significant race of Sawe’s career.
On April 26, he won the London Marathon in 1:59:30, becoming the first man to officially complete a marathon in under two hours. World Athletics lists the performance as the men’s marathon world record.
The run also lowered the previous record of 2:00:35, set by the late Kenyan marathoner Kelvin Kiptum in Chicago in 2023.
Before his injury, Sawe had been preparing for another major performance in Berlin. His victory there last year was his first appearance at the race, while his marathon career had already included a 2:02:05 victory in Valencia in 2024.
His absence will be a major change to the men’s race, which had been expected to feature the reigning champion and the current world record holder.
For Sawe, the priority now is recovery.
“I want to thank everyone who continues to support me, and I wish all the runners taking part a great race,” he said. “I look forward to seeing you again at the start line in Berlin.”
The Berlin Marathon will go ahead on September 27 without its defending men’s champion.
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