Kenya's Sabastian Sawe broke the two-hour barrier in London, and now it faces Josh Kerr's mile world record for World Athletics' moment of the year.
Africa's long-distance dominance has another global stage. Kenya's Sabastian Sawe is nominated for moment of the year at the World Athletics Awards after breaking the two-hour barrier at the London Marathon, a mark that long seemed out of reach on a record-eligible course.
Sawe's run sits in the same category as another landmark: Scotland's Josh Kerr and his mile world record. It sets up a head-to-head between the sport's most famous distance on the track and the marathon's most mythical barrier on the road.
The contrast makes this nomination compelling. The mile is a tactical, explosive test, and the marathon is a 26.2-mile exercise in rhythm, pacing and nerve. Both nominated moments pushed human limits in their own way.
For African fans, Sawe's inclusion is more proof that the continent's distance runners keep rewriting what is possible. Whichever moment takes the award, the conversation about the sport's biggest breakthroughs now runs through London and through East Africa.
