© Copyright – 2025 – Athletics Illustrated
Kenya’s latest world-class marathon runner, Sebastian Sawe, and his management contacted the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) to offer to submit to at least 25 unannounced tests in the two months leading up to the fast Berlin Marathon. This is a high-risk and medium-reward scenario.
The risks
If Sawe does not test positive during the proposed two-month period and runs a slow (for him) time, then it will appear that he was “off drugs” during the experiment. Speculation will suggest that he has doped in the past, but is now off any performance-enhancing drugs. Should he return to this 2:02-level in a later marathon event, then doubt will certainly return.
Should Sawe run a 2:02 marathon in Berlin, as he has done in Valencia in 2024 and London in 2025, the 30-year-old may be championed by sponsors and media as legitimate. However, doubters will say that the exercise was merely a fixed stunt. Should he test positive sometime in the future, all bets will be off, and the vitriol will return.
On another level 😤
— World Athletics (@WorldAthletics) April 27, 2025
🇰🇪‘s Sabastian Sawe wins the TCS London Marathon with a strong 2:02:27 in hot conditions 🥵
The Kenyan keeps a perfect scorecard after his debut victory in Valencia 👏#londonmarathon2025 pic.twitter.com/0sw3sgw3Zm
Of course, should he test positive during the two-month lead-up, the calls for Kenya to be labelled non-compliant will hit a fever pitch.
While there is a winning scenario, it is a long game. Should he never test positive, remain consistent and continue to be tested with the latest technology consistently, then perhaps he will be considered absolved of any alleged doping crimes (but the muttering will never disappear). It is a medium-level, anti-climactic scenario.
This year’s fastest man has launched the anti-doping plan ahead of his third marathon in Berlin. The race will take place on Sunday, September 21.
The tests, which began on July 25, are administered independently by the AIU. The AIU is using advanced lab protocols, with adidas as its main sponsor, covering the costs.
Sawe says the step is meant to remove doubt over his performances. Especially now, at a time when Kenyan athletes are under intense scrutiny.
Recently, any time that an athlete — especially a Kenyan — runs a world-class time, speculation is immediate in the media, social media and in chat forums such as www.letsrun.com.
“To fight this cancer in our sport, we must shine a light on it and work with bodies like AIU and World Athletics. By taking this step, I hope to be an example. Not just to prove I am clean when I race in Berlin, but to show that Kenyan athletes can take responsibility and find lasting solutions,” said Sawe.
Resume
Sawe has won the only two marathons that he has competed in. He took the 2024 Valencia and 2025 London Marathons in 2:02:05 and 2:02:27, respectively.
Sawe has run the half-marathon as fast as 58:29. His road 10km pb is 26:49, which suggests a near world record capability on the tracks.
Sawe won the 2023 Riga World Half Marathon Championships in 59:10.
He holds three unique records. In the 20,000 metre race, Sawe has run as fast as 56:20.55. This is not officially an African record, but the best-known time in African history. Similarly, his 15,000m best is a world best known time of 41:51.64. His one-hour run is a national record, covering 21,250 metres. He set all of those performances on Sept. 1, 2022, at the Memorial van Damme in Brussels, Belgium.
Whatever the result will turn out to be with the Sawe-adidas testing experiment, the best that can be expected is that Sawe preserves his own reputation.
The approximately 400 suspended Kenyan athletes since 2016 will continue to plague the reputation of the East African nation.
