Sabastian Sawe named among three finalists for 2026 Men's World Athlete of the Year award

Kenyan marathon star Sabastian Sawe has been named among three finalists for the 2026 Men's World Athlete of the Year award, putting him in contention for one of the highest individual honours in global athletics.

Sawe will compete for the prestigious award against Brazil's Alison dos Santos and Sweden's Mondo Duplantis. World Athletics confirmed the three finalists on Tuesday, November 10, following a four-way voting process involving fans, athletes, members of the media and the World Athletics Family.

The finalists emerged from an initial list of 10 male athletes selected by an international panel of athletics experts. The panel recognised athletes who delivered outstanding performances across track, field and road competitions during the 2026 season.

The three athletes will now be invited to Monaco, where the winner will be announced during the World Athletics Awards ceremony on Sunday, November 29.

Sawe earned his place among the finalists following a remarkable performance at the 2026 London Marathon, where he won the race in a world-record time of 1:59:30.

His performance made him the first man to complete a marathon in under two hours in a record-eligible race. The achievement marked a major milestone in long-distance running, a discipline in which breaking the two-hour barrier had long been considered one of the sport's greatest challenges.

The Kenyan's achievement strengthened his position among the world's leading distance runners and placed him in contention for the top individual athletics award.

His nomination also gives Kenya a strong presence in the men's category, with Sawe representing the country's growing reputation in international road running.

Brazil's Alison dos Santos secured his place in the final three after producing an outstanding season in the 400 metres hurdles.

Dos Santos set a world record of 45.80 seconds in the event. He also won the World Athletics Ultimate Championship title in 45.98 seconds, the third-fastest time in history.

The Brazilian remained unbeaten in all 11 of his hurdles races during the season, including the Diamond League Final. His consistency and record-breaking performances made him one of the leading contenders for the award.

Sweden's Mondo Duplantis also earned a place among the finalists after continuing his dominance in pole vault.

Duplantis improved his own world record to 6.31 metres during the season. He also won titles at the World Athletics Ultimate Championship, World Indoor Championships and European Championships.

His latest record further extended his achievements in a discipline where he has consistently raised the standard of competition.

The three finalists were selected through a voting process involving four groups: World Athletics fans, athletes who competed at World Athletics Series events in 2026, accredited media representatives and members of the World Athletics Family.

Each group contributed 25 per cent of the overall vote, giving the process a combination of public participation, athletes' views, media assessment and input from athletics administrators and stakeholders.

The finalists were drawn from an initial list of 10 nominees announced in October. Other athletes who featured on the men's nominees list included Britain's Josh Kerr, American sprinters Kenneth Bednarek and Ja'Kobe Tharp, Botswana's Collen Kebinatshipi, Sri Lanka's Rumesh Tharanga Pathirage, Italy's Andy Díaz Hernández and Slovenia's Kristjan Čeh.

World Athletics said it will announce the winner live on stage at the awards ceremony in Monaco on November 29.

The ceremony will also recognise outstanding performances in other categories, including the Women's World Athlete of the Year, the Rising Star awards, Coach of the Year and the President's Award. The 2026 ceremony will also feature the introduction of the Moment of the Year award.

For Kenya, Sawe's place among the final three marks a historic marathon season. He now has an opportunity to become the latest Kenyan athlete to receive one of the sport's most prestigious global honours.