Eldoret church draws attention after Sabastian Sawe wins London Marathon in 1:59:30

A Catholic church in Eldoret has drawn international attention after a local runner, Sabastian Sawe, prayed at the Holy Family Catholic Church shortly before winning the London Marathon and posting a landmark time of 1 hour, 59 minutes and 30 seconds. The victory, on April 26, made Sawe the first person to break the two-hour barrier in an official marathon, with Ethiopian runner Yomif Kejelcha finishing 11 seconds later in under two hours.

Sawe, 31, hails from Kenya’s north Rift Valley, an area known for producing elite distance runners. Church leaders said his connection to the faith was longstanding. According to the parish priest, Rev. Pius Tuwei, Sawe attended Mass at the church and asked for prayers. Tuwei said, “When I blessed him, I never thought he would achieve such a global victory,” adding that he viewed the moment as routine support for an athlete. “I was just blessing him like any other athlete or any other person.”

The marathon win also renewed discussion among Kenyan athletes and coaches about the relationship between Christian faith and high-level performance. In Kenya, where many runners begin competing as children, religious observance is often visible in the...