Sabastian Sawe Named Finalist for Men’s World Athlete of the Year

Sabastian Sawe has secured a spot among the final three nominees for the 2026 Men’s World Athlete of the Year award.

Historic Marathon Season

Sawe earned his shortlist position after clocking one hour, 59 minutes and 30 seconds at the London Marathon, according to The Star, Kenya. That run made him the first man to break the two-hour barrier in a record-eligible marathon, according to World Athletics.

The 31-year-old Kenyan’s performance pushed distance running into territory previously regarded as beyond human endurance limits. During the same race, Ethiopia’s Yomif Kejelcha finished second and also broke the two-hour barrier, while third-placed Jacob Kiplimo also beat the previous world record.

🏆 AW Awards – International Male Athlete of the Year nominees 🏆 🇰🇪 Sabastian Sawe ✅ Set a world marathon record of 1:59:30 ✅ First person to run a sub-two hour marathon on a record-eligible course ✅ Retained his marathon title in London Vote for your athletes of the… https://t.co/DyKoxOCCSM pic.twitter.com/2J2poAURWS

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Following his historic feat, Sawe also received custom vehicle registration plates bearing his landmark finishing figures.

Monaco Finalists

Sawe will compete against Sweden’s Mondo Duplantis and Brazilian 400m hurdles record holder Alison dos Santos for the trophy.

Dos Santos established a 400m hurdles world record of 45.80 seconds and later won the Ultimate title in 45.98 seconds, which stands as the third-fastest time in history. The Brazilian maintained an undefeated streak across all 11 of his hurdles races during the season, including a victory at the Diamond League Final.

The three finalists emerged from a group of 10 nominees originally selected by an international panel of athletics experts.

Photo: worldathletics.org

Seven other athletes missed out on the final shortlist: Great Britain and Northern Ireland’s Josh Kerr finished fourth in the voting, followed by United States competitors Ja’Kobe Tharp and Kenneth Bednarek, Botswana’s Collen Kebinatshipi, Sri Lanka’s Rumesh Tharanga Pathirage, Italy’s Andy Díaz Hernández, and Slovenia’s Kristjan Čeh.

The winner will be announced live on stage during the World Athletics Awards in Monaco on November 29. Additional categories to be presented during the ceremony include the men’s and women’s Rising Star honors, Coach of the Year, the President’s Award, and the Moment of the Year award. Sawe’s sub-two-hour marathon performance is also in contention for this Moment of the Year honor.

Kenyan marathon record holder Sabastian Sawe has made the final shortlist for the 2026 Men's World Athlete of the Year award, joining Brazil's Alison dos Santos and Sweden's Mondo Duplantis. World Athletics announced the three finalists on Tuesday, November 10, following a… pic.twitter.com/vLBRR6KkHZ

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The finalists for the Women’s World Athlete of the Year award are scheduled to be announced on Wednesday, November 11.

More on Sabastian Sawe

Sabastian Sawe is among the three finalists for the 2026 Men’s World Athlete of the Year award, alongside pole vault star Mondo Duplantis and 400m hurdler Alison dos Santos.#sportyfmke pic.twitter.com/yitp4mD4Gk

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