Sebastian Sawe is set to pocket over Ksh 9 million after emerging victorious in the Berlin Marathon on Sunday, September 21.
The 30-year-old completed the race in under 2:02:30, which was the cutoff for receiving a €30,000 (about Ksh4.6 million in the current exchange rates) cash bonus.
Sawe, who is arguably the greatest marathoner today, proved too powerful for his opponents, establishing daylight between himself and his closest opponent by the halfway mark, which he clocked in a time of 60:16.
In the warm Berlin weather, Sawe showed no signs of slowing down, and by the 37-kilometre mark, he was practically alone on the track, with his projected finishing time standing at 2 hours and two minutes.
The 30-year-old could afford to slow down slightly towards the end but still managed an impressive time of 2:02:15.
Berlin Marathon Payouts
The 2025 Berlin Marathon payout was set at €30,000 (Ksh4,556,700) for the winners in the men's category.
Further, the first runner to cross the finish line in under 2:02:30 is also entitled to a bonus of €30,000. Sawe secured this payout after finishing the 42-kilometre race in 2:02:15, which is a world best for 2025.
Athletes in the men's category were also entitled to a further €110,000 (Ksh 17.1 million) if they managed to break the world record time of 2:00:35, set by Kenyan athlete Kelvin Kiptum at the 2023 Chicago Marathon. Sawe, unfortunately, did not manage this feat.
However, considering all payouts, Sawe, who is barely two years into running full marathons, is set to pocket at least Ksh9 million from the marathon organisers alone.
Sawe's win further cemented his status as one of the most promising prospects among Kenyan marathoners, and it came months after he won the Valencia marathon with a time of 2:02:05.
The Berlin marathon is considered one of the fastest in the world, with eight consecutive men’s world records falling in recent times, including Eliud Kipchoge’s 2:01:09 in 2022.
In the women's race, Rosemary Wanjiru also flew the Kenyan flag high as she emerged victorious with a time of 2:21:04 to become the first Kenyan to win the Berlin Marathon in seven years.
Effectively, Wanjiru also pocketed €30,000 (Ksh4.6 million) from her victory, although she missed out on the bonus since it required her to run a sub-2:16:00.
