Sawe's sub-two revolution fires up Munyao's pursuit of faster marathon times

Alexander Munyao/ FILE

The 2024 London Marathon champion, Alexander Munyao, says Sabastian Sawe's groundbreaking sub-two-hour marathon performance has sent shockwaves through the distance-running world, inspiring athletes to chase faster times and dramatically lower their personal bests, with Munyao himself eyeing a sizeable cut from his lifetime best.

On April 26, the global marathon scene was turned on its head when Sawe stormed to a historic 1:59:30 victory at the London Marathon, becoming the first man in history to break the two-hour barrier in a competitive marathon. Ethiopia's Yomif Kejelcha followed him under the landmark mark, clocking 1:59:41, while Uganda's Jacob Kiplimo completed the podium in 2:00:28.

With the men's marathon standard pushed into uncharted territory, elite distance runners have been forced back to the drawing board, reassessing their race strategies and training approaches to keep pace with the rapidly evolving demands of the event. Munyao believes Sawe's historic feat has raised the bar for the entire marathon fraternity.

"Sawe set a benchmark for us marathoners, and now we have to chase very fast times," Munyao said. The Kenyan distance ace is now targeting a significant improvement on his personal best of 2:03:11 as he seeks to remain competitive in an era of unprecedented marathon performances.

"I have to ensure I lower my own personal best and dip below 2:03," he added. Munyao is yet to break the 2:03 barrier in his marathon career.

He announced himself on the marathon stage in 2022 during his debut in Valencia, powering to third place in 2:03:29. The late Kelvin Kiptum won the race in 2:01:53, while Tanzania's Gabriel Geay claimed second place in 2:03:00. Munyao returned for his second marathon appearance in Prague in 2023, securing his maiden victory after slicing through the tape in 2:05:09.

Ethiopia's Sisay Lemma finished second in 2:06:26, with compatriot Philemon Rono rounding out the podium in 2:06:51. Later that year, he produced what remains his lifetime best performance, clocking 2:03:11 to finish second in Valencia behind Lemma, who won in 2:01:48.

Munyao's breakthrough on the major marathon circuit came in 2024 when he captured the London Marathon crown in 2:04:01, outkicking distance-running great Kenenisa Bekele (2:04:15) and Britain's Emile Cairess (2:06:46). That victory earned him a ticket to the Paris Olympics, where he endured a difficult outing, eventually finishing 21st in 2:10:31.

Last year, Munyao returned to London and finished third in 2:04:20 behind Sawe (2:02:27) and Kiplimo (2:03:37). He then made his maiden appearance at the New York Marathon, storming to a runner-up finish in 2:08:09 behind compatriot Benson Kipruto, who clocked the same time.

Munyao has already enjoyed an encouraging start to his 2026 campaign. He opened his season at the Tokyo Marathon on March 1, finishing third in 2:03:38. Ethiopia's Tadese Takele claimed victory in 2:03:37, while Geofry Kipchumba also clocked 2:03:37 to place second. "Tokyo was a good season opener for me. It was a great race."

The Kenyan says he is yet to decide where he will next test himself over the classic 42km distance, revealing discussions with his coach and management team will determine his next target. "I don't know which marathon race I will go to next. I will have to talk to my coach and management so that we can plan the next target," he revealed.

As he builds towards an assault on his marathon personal best, Munyao is set to line up at the Boston 10km Road Race on June 21. "I will be running at the Boston 10K, where I want to sharpen my speed. The target is to clock 28 minutes," he said.

The former London Marathon champion made his 10km road-race debut in Prague in 2022, finishing sixth in 27:35. His second appearance over the distance came a year later, also in Prague, where he improved to second place after clocking 27:48 behind Ethiopia's Tadese Worku, who won in 27:35.