'Beating His Record Is Possible' - Yomif Kejelcha Believes He Can Go Faster Than Sabastian Sawe

Yomif Kejelcha, the 28-year-old Ethiopian running phenomenon, recently visited the offices of AS, accompanied by his inner circle, his wife Yadi Birhanu Biru, his manager Mónica Pont, and the core team from Santamadre, led by CEO Alfonso Beltrá.

The Spanish sports nutrition company has been instrumental in the African star's recent success, which saw him break the two-hour barrier at the London Marathon.

Kejelcha finished just eleven seconds behind Sabastian Sawe, who himself shattered Kelvin Kiptum's previous record by 65 seconds. Yomif's time was 54 seconds faster than Kiptum's old mark, and he now believes that he can go even faster than Sabastian Sawe.

"I'm a Chelsea fan," he told AS with a laugh upon seeing photos of the football club on the newsroom wall, quickly adding, "But I don't play, I just watch."

Yomif Kejelcha is a prodigious athlete, "the best in history," insists Beltrá, capable of maintaining an astonishing pace of 2:49 per kilometre over the full 42.195-kilometre distance.

To put his mindset into perspective, his manager shared a revealing anecdote. "After finishing in London, he came up to me and said, 'Mónica, I'm very tired.' I told him, 'Yomif, that's normal. You just ran a marathon in under two hours.' He replied, 'What do you mean, under two hours?' He hadn't even realised. He looked at the screen and couldn't believe it."

This incredible performance almost did not happen. Just twelve weeks before the race, a tendon injury put his participation in doubt until it was successfully treated by Dr David López Capapé.

When asked when he will attempt to break Sabastian Sawe’s record, Yomif Kejelcha said: "I don't know yet, I know my manager will choose the most suitable one. Beating his record is possible, why not?"

"I don't know if there's a limit to how low the marathon record can go. I believe nothing is impossible; human beings have no limits."

Regarding his rivalry with Sabastian Sawe, Yomif Kejelcha offered a more personal perspective, emphasising that their relationship extends beyond competition: “Sabastian and I are good friends, we talk a lot... although during a race, competition is competition. But outside of it, our relationship is good, very good, I'd say.”

While not specifying the location, Yomif Kejelcha confirmed he will compete in one more marathon in 2026. "One more. I don't know where, but I will run another marathon," he stated.

A hint for keen observers might point towards Spain. "I feel like Valencia is my second home. I love going there; I've run the half-marathon five times and broke the world record there."

His rival, Sabastian Sawe, is targeting the Berlin Marathon on September 27, which takes place at the Brandenburg Gate. Valencia will host its own running festival 70 days later, on December 6. For Kejelcha, there is no doubt about his focus.

"For the future, I am centred on the marathon," he affirmed, noting his intense training regimen. "I run between 180 and 200 kilometres per week."

This tremendous workload has helped him break one of athletics' greatest barriers, a milestone that leaves him "very grateful and proud of myself." He emphasised, "It's an incredible result that I truly never thought I could achieve."

"Talent is very important," Kejelcha explained. "And combined with nutrition, the shoes, and complex training, it all came together."

The nutritional aspect, radically transformed by Santamadre, has been a game-changer. "Eleven months ago, we went to Ethiopia and studied his body to understand his past training," said Alfonso Beltrá.

"Yomif has immense talent, but the marathon is very different from the track. We had him wear a monitor that tracked all his vitals and his workload, and we did blood tests every three weeks."

Adapting a high-altitude training regimen to a sea-level race presents significant challenges, as data doesn't always translate directly.

"We didn't know what would happen because the oxidation rate changes," Beltrá admitted. "But we studied all the conditions around the race and the position he needed to run in to conserve as much energy as possible. The tactic was to stay behind Sawe for as long as he could. What happened was magical."

However, the race was not without its hitches. "He missed two carbohydrate bottles, one at kilometre 25 and another at 35," Beltrá revealed.

"We don't know what would have happened. Maybe the result would have been the same, maybe he would have run five seconds faster, or maybe he would have contested the win in a sprint finish. Those two bottles contained about 19 grams of carbs, and we calculated he needed 14 or 15 grams to maintain the lead pace to the end."

Santamadre, who has extensive experience in cycling, is now setting its sights on a new challenge: helping a female athlete break the 2:10 barrier in the marathon. "We're working on it," Beltrá said with a knowing smile, confirming a runner has been chosen, though her name remains under wraps.

Finally, Kejelcha offered a message to the next generation, especially the children in Ethiopia who now see him as an idol, just as he once looked up to Kenenisa Bekele.

"To the new generations, I say do as I did. The strength is in your mind. Work hard and push yourself. I hope many boys and girls will be inspired to start running because of my example."