President William Ruto on Sunday, September 21, congratulated Sebastian Sawe and Rosemary Wanjiru after the two athletes delivered a Kenyan double at the BMW Berlin Marathon.

Sawe, 29, ran 2:02:16 in a solo effort that placed him among the fastest marathoners in history and within reach of the men’s world record.

His victory came months after the death of world record holder Kelvin Kiptum.

“Golden glory from our indomitable Sabastian Sawe! Hongera for conquering the BMW Berlin Marathon; a triumph that not only crowns you with greatness, but also stands as a peerless tribute to our late hero, Kelvin Kiptum,” said Ruto on X.

Sawe’s win earned him more than Sh9 million in prize money and bonuses after finishing under 2:02:30, a benchmark that triggered a €30,000 payout.

The Berlin course has long been regarded as the fastest in the world, with eight consecutive men’s world records set there, including Eliud Kipchoge’s 2:01:09 in 2022 and Kiptum’s 2:00:35 in 2023 at Chicago.

In the women’s race, Wanjiru surged ahead after the 25km mark and appeared to have sealed the win before Ethiopia’s Dera Dida closed the gap to three seconds at the finish.

Wanjiru crossed in 2:21:04 to become the first Kenyan woman to win the Berlin Marathon in seven years.

“Well in Rosemary Wanjiru for your deserved victory in the women’s race,” noted Ruto.