By Barbara Plett Usher, Africa correspondent, and Toby Mann u2014 BBC
Kenyau2019s Sabastian Sawe has returned home to joyous scenes after becoming the first man to run a marathon in under two hours in competitive race conditions.
His incredible achievement at Sundayu2019s London Marathon is being celebrated in Kenya, where officials welcomed him home amid a crush of cameras at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in the capital, Nairobi.
His parents were also present to greet him, days after the 31-year-old achieved the holy grail of marathon running by smashing the two-hour barrier in a race with an official time of one hour 59 minutes and 30 seconds.
u201cI am happy about this good day, that you came to celebrate with me, I did not expect it,u201d Sawe told the crowd.
Saweu2019s parents drove six hours from their home to be there with his supporters when he landed. His Kenyan Airways plane was given a water cannon salute when it landed, as dancers and musicians performed. The homecoming was a huge moment for Sawe and his family, and also for the country.
Speaking from the family home before going to the airport, Saweu2019s father Simeon Sawe said: u201cHe used to tell me that one day, he was going to break the record. He was so determined and hopeful that he would. I am happy for him and all of us here. We celebrated so much, my throat still hurts from all the cheering,u201d he added.
Sawe met Kenyau2019s President William Ruto on Thursday morning and was awarded two cheques worth 8m Kenya shillings ($62,000; u00a346,000) for breaking the marathon record and getting a gold medal. He also received a vehicle number plate 01:59:30 u2014 his official record time.
Ruto described Saweu2019s win as a u201cmoment that is exceedingly rareu201d and not just a sporting triumph but u201ca defining moment in the history of human enduranceu201d.
u201cSabastian, you have not only broken a record, you have expanded the horizon of human potential,u201d the president said.
Sawe presented Ruto with the shoes he wore as he covered the 26.2 miles (42.2km) on Sunday. He said his achievement in London was u201con behalf of everyone and for the nationu201d.
u201cWe will continue to put more effort in our talent to keep the nation flying high. Thank you for all the support… we will not let you down,u201d he said.
Saweu2019s run was more than one minute faster than the late Kelvin Kiptumu2019s previous record of 2:00:35, which was set in 2023. He was already on pace to beat that record as he crossed the halfway mark in 1:00:29, and managed to run the second half of the race even faster in just 59:01.
u201cI am feeling good. I am so happy. It is a day to remember for me,u201d he told the BBC after the race.
Sawe, who has won all four marathons he has entered, is already talking about his next competition in the autumn, saying he believes he can run an even faster time.