Kenya is rewriting marathon history, and it’s doing so with a new champion, Sabastian Sawe, who has broken the two-hour barrier for the first time in an official race. An extraordinary achievement that also bears an Italian signature: that of Brescia-based coach Claudio Berardelli.
Not just a world record, but a new chapter in African and international sports, breaking a barrier that had become almost an obsession for the great Kenyan, Ethiopian, and Ugandan athletes. Sabastian Sawe, 31, turned the impossible into reality by running an official marathon in 1:59:30, an extraordinary result that is also the fruit of the technical and mental coaching of the Brescia-based trainer who has been a leading figure in Kenya for years, working with elite runners.

The stopwatch is just a stopwatch; the feat belongs to the man, since time cannot belong to him. We can only master fragments of it and give them meaning.
The legendary 42-plus kilometers under two hours: a time that until recently belonged more to fantasy than to competitive reality. Instead, on the streets of London, Sawe shattered every limit, entering marathon history with a performance destined to be remembered for generations.
For Kenya, this is a massive symbolic success. The nation that has made running its banner has conquered the most coveted milestone of the queen of distances. That two-hour barrier, which national hero Eliud Kipchoge had chased throughout his career in official races—succeeding only in a special, non-sanctioned event—now falls thanks to a new embodiment of Kenyan talent.
The previous record belonged to Kelvin Kiptum, another extraordinary rising star of world athletics. His journey, however, was tragically cut short on February 11, 2024, when he lost his life at just 24 years old in a car accident in western Kenya. His coach, Gervais Hakizimana, also died with him. A loss that left the country and the world of sports in shock.
But in Sawe’s fairy tale, there is also an Italian story. Behind this masterpiece is Claudio Berardelli, a coach born in Passirano, in the province of Brescia, who moved to Kenya in 2004 and has since become an absolute authority in African middle- and long-distance running. For over twenty years, he has lived and worked in the highlands of the Rift Valley, transforming the world’s most famous running region into a center of excellence. His ability to get inside athletes’ minds, to understand them, and to become a sort of “guru” is well known in those parts. For his work, Berardelli was also awarded the honor of Knight of the Star of Italy by President Mattarella.
Berardelli is not just a coach, but a builder of champions. He has guided athletes to the Olympic Games and World Championships, also contributing to the success of Emmanuel Wanyonyi, gold medalist in the 800 meters. His reputation is built on method, discipline, and the ability to get inside the athletes’ minds, as well as their legs.
Those who know him describe a coach attentive to every detail: calibrated training loads, high-altitude preparation, psychological race management, and a culture of sacrifice. In an environment where natural talent abounds, Berardelli has been able to add organization, mindset, and an international vision.
Sawe’s record stems precisely from this perfect combination: the Kenyan engine and Italian expertise. A synthesis that allowed the new king of the marathon to run the second half of the race even faster than the first, a sign of absolute control and impeccable preparation.
Kenya celebrates its new hero. Italy can smile with discretion, knowing that within that legendary race there is also a bit of its own sporting expertise. Because sometimes records are born not only from talent, but from the meeting of different worlds capable of improving one another.