Kenya’s Sebastian Sawe is set to earn more than Ksh 9 million after clinching victory at the Berlin Marathon on Sunday, September 21.

The 30-year-old crossed the finish line in under 2:02:30, securing a €30,000 (about Ksh 4.6 million) bonus in addition to his prize money.

Widely regarded as one of the best marathoners today, Sawe pulled away from the pack early, hitting the halfway point in 60:16.

Despite the warm Berlin conditions, he maintained his pace, and by the 37km mark, he was running solo with a projected finish time of 2:02:00.

The 30-year-old eased his pace in the final stretch but still clocked an impressive 2:02:15.

Winners in the men’s category at the 2025 Berlin Marathon were awarded €30,000 (Ksh 4.55 million). In addition, the first athlete to finish under 2:02:30 also received a €30,000 bonus.

Sawe secured both after crossing the line in 2:02:15 — the fastest time in 2025 so far. Runners who broke the world record of 2:00:35, set by Kelvin Kiptum in Chicago 2023, would have bagged an extra €110,000 (Ksh 17.1 million), but Sawe fell short of that mark.

Even so, with just under two years in full marathons, Sawe is walking away with at least Ksh 9 million from the Berlin organisers alone. His victory further underlines his rise, coming just months after his 2:02:05 win in Valencia.

Sawe also claimed a stunning victory at the 2025 London Marathon back in April, outperforming a highly competitive field that included marathon legend Eliud Kipchoge. 

Competing in only his second career marathon, the 29-year-old delivered an exceptional performance, crossing the finish line in 2:02:27 — the second-fastest time ever recorded at the London event. 

The Berlin Marathon remains one of the fastest globally, producing eight consecutive men’s world records, including Kipchoge’s 2:01:09 in 2022.

Kenya also celebrated victory in the women’s race, where Rosemary Wanjiru triumphed in 2:21:04 — becoming the first Kenyan woman to win Berlin in seven years.

She pocketed €30,000 (Ksh 4.6 million) but missed the time bonus, which required a sub-2:16:00 finish.