Kenya once again dominated the world stage at the 2025 Berlin Marathon, with Sebastian Sawe and Rosemary Wanjiru emerging as champions in the men’s and women’s categories respectively on Sunday, September 21, 2025.
Sebastian Sawe Wins Men’s Berlin Marathon 2025
Sebastian Sawe, 30, continued his meteoric rise in marathon running by winning the men’s race in an outstanding 2:02:15. His performance not only secured victory but also earned him a €30,000 (about Ksh4.6 million) bonus for finishing under the 2:02:30 cutoff time.
Berlin Marathon 2025 Prize Money
- Men’s winner payout: €30,000 (Ksh4.6 million)
- Bonus for finishing under 2:02:30: €30,000 (Ksh4.6 million)
- World record bonus: €110,000 (Ksh17.1 million)
While Sawe missed out on the €110,000 (Ksh17.1 million) prize for breaking Kelvin Kiptum’s world record of 2:00:35 set at the 2023 Chicago Marathon, he still walked away with at least Ksh9 million in total earnings.
This victory comes less than a year after his triumph at the Valencia Marathon, where he clocked 2:02:05, cementing his reputation as one of the most promising Kenyan marathoners today.
Rosemary Wanjiru Wins Women’s Berlin Marathon 2025
Kenya also celebrated success in the women’s race as Rosemary Wanjiru stormed to victory with a time of 2:21:04, becoming the first Kenyan woman to win the Berlin Marathon in seven years.
Berlin Marathon: The Fastest Marathon in the World
The Berlin Marathon is renowned as the fastest course globally, with eight consecutive men’s world records being set there, including Eliud Kipchoge’s 2:01:09 in 2022.
