Men’s marathon record holder Sabastian Sawe of Kenya has made the final three athletes nominated for the 2026 Male Athlete of the Year award.
The 31-year-old produced an outstanding performance this year after he became the first man to finish a marathon under two hours when he claimed victory at the London Marathon in 1 hour, 59 minutes and 30 seconds in an eligible race.
Sawe will face 400m hurdles record holder Alison dos Santos of Brazil and Swede Mondo Duplantis, who improved his pole vault world record setting a new height of 6.31m for the coveted trophy.
Following a four-way vote by fans, athletes, members of the media, and the World Athletics Family, the three finalists topped the list of 10 nominees that had been selected by an international panel of athletics experts.
The finalists will be invited to Monaco for the World Athletics Awards on 29 November, when the winner will be announced live on stage.
