Overview
- Sabastian Sawe said on Instagram that an injury forces him to pull out of the Berlin Marathon and he will not be able to defend his title.
- Sawe is the marathon world record holder after a 1:59:30 run that broke the two-hour barrier, a performance that had made him a top draw for Berlin.
- He narrowly missed a sub-two-hour finish in Berlin last year and had planned to return to the course to improve on that time.
- Race organisers said they now expect the fastest action to come from the women’s race, highlighting Tigst Assefa as a contender for the world record and Esther Pfeiffer as a target for the German record.
- Berlin’s flat, fast course has long been chosen for record attempts, so Sawe’s withdrawal will alter media attention, spectator expectations, and competitive dynamics for the event.