Kenyan marathon star Sabastian Sawe has been shortlisted among the final three contenders for the 2026 World Athletics Men’s World Athlete of the Year Award after producing one of the greatest long-distance running performances in history.
The 31-year-old earned the nomination following his record-breaking victory at the London Marathon in April, where he clocked an astonishing 1:59:30, becoming the first man to complete the official 42.195km marathon distance in under two hours.
Sawe will now compete for the prestigious individual honour against Swedish pole vault sensation Mondo Duplantis and Brazilian 400m hurdles star Alison dos Santos.
Sabastian Sawe Makes History at London Marathon
Sawe delivered a remarkable performance in London, defending his title while setting a new marathon world record.
His winning time of 1:59:30 took 65 seconds off the previous record of 2:00:35, set by his fellow Kenyan Kelvin Kiptum in 2023.
The achievement placed Sawe in a special category in athletics, with his performance marking the first officially recognised sub-two-hour marathon.
His nomination follows his success in last year’s Men’s Out of Stadium Athlete of the Year category, and he will now be hoping to secure the overall award.
Mondo Duplantis and Alison dos Santos Also Make Final Three
Sawe faces stiff competition from two other world-record holders who enjoyed outstanding seasons.
Duplantis, who represents Sweden, continued to dominate pole vaulting after improving his world record to 6.31 metres for the 15th time in his career at the Mondo Classic in Uppsala.
His season also included victories at the World Ultimate, World Indoor and European championships.
Meanwhile, Brazil’s Alison dos Santos secured his place among the finalists after setting a 400m hurdles world record of 45.80 seconds at the Zurich Diamond League meeting in August.
Dos Santos later won the World Ultimate title in 45.98 seconds, recording the third-fastest time in history.
Who Missed Out on the 2026 World Athlete of the Year Award?
The three finalists emerged from an initial list of 10 nominees following a combined voting process involving fans, athletes, media representatives and members of the World Athletics Family.
Among those who missed out were:
- Josh Kerr, 1500m world record holder.
- Ja’Kobe Tharp, 110m hurdles world record holder.
- Kenny Bednarek, World Ultimate 100m and 200m champion.
- Collen Busang Kebinatshipi, World Ultimate 400m winner.
- Rumesh Tharanga Pathirage, Commonwealth javelin champion.
- Andy Díaz Hernández, European triple jump champion.
- Kristjan Čeh, European men’s discus champion.
When Will the 2026 World Athletics Award Winner Be Announced?
The overall winner will be announced during the World Athletics Awards ceremony scheduled for November 29, 2026, in Monaco.
Sawe will be hoping to turn his historic marathon season into the sport’s highest individual recognition after already claiming the Men’s Out of Stadium Athlete of the Year award in 2025.
A victory would further cement Kenya’s presence in global athletics and give the marathon star another major achievement to add to his record-bre:aking season.
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