Berlin Marathon favourite Sabastian Sawe goes into Sunday's race vowing to honour the legacy of Kenyan countrymen Eliud Kipchoge and Kelvin Kiptum, the two fastest men in history.

Running just his third marathon on Sunday, the 29-year-old pledged to carry the torch passed on from his illustrious compatriots.

Speaking with AFP days out from the race, Sawe cited Kipchoge as a "mentor".

Embodying the spirit of Kiptum, the world record holder who died in a car accident in 2024, is another goal.

"It was so sad, we lost a legend," said Sawe.

"We have nothing to say except we are sorry for him and we will live to remember him."

Kiptum's death left Sawe as the man most likely to put pressure on the world record and challenge marathon's holy grail: the two-hour mark.

"Everything is possible with time," Sawe said.

"Kipchoge says: 'no man is limited', so one day, someone will break it."

- 'Berlin the fastest' -

With 24C forecast on Sunday in Berlin and with fewer turns on the flattest of the major marathons, there will be fair conditions for a world record tilt.

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Kenya's Eliud Kipchoge holds the course record in Berlin having won the race a record five times in the German capital / © AFP

Eight of the last nine men's marathon world records have been set in the German capital.

The only exception is the current world mark of 2:00:35, set by the late Kiptum in Chicago in 2023.

The temptation of a shot at history was enough for Sawe to skip the world athletics championships in Tokyo.

"Berlin is the fastest course and it's possible to run fast here," Sawe said, having won the city's half-marathon in 2023.

Ethiopian Haile Gebrselassie, a four-time winner in Berlin, told Germany's RTL network on Friday that the event was the "perfect place" to beat the two-hour mark, while backing the "young and talented" Sawe.

"If the weather is good, there could be a surprise."

Sawe's path to marathon running was unorthodox. Originally an 800- and 1,500-metre runner, an accident at the 2022 Seville half-marathon revealed his potential.

Brought in as a pacer, Sawe found himself alone after seven kilometres and went on to win, setting a new course record despite previously having never raced further than 5000 metres.

On his marathon debut in Valencia in 2024, he won in a time of 2:02:05 -- the fifth fastest in history.

After winning again in London in April, Kipchoge's 2022 Berlin course record of 2:01:09 is in his sights.

- 'A big win' -

Sawe's early inspiration also came from closer to home. His uncle Abraham Chepkirwok still holds a national 800-metre record in neighbouring Uganda.

"He inspired me and up to now I think (I run) because of him," Sawe said.

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Sabastian Sawe ambitions go beyond medals and records: he wants to improve the reputation of Kenya's doping-plagued athletics programme / © AFP

He cites his grandmother Esther, nicknamed Koko, who raised him and passed away in 2022 as he ran in Seville, as his major role model, particularly in his early years.

"In those times, we ran without shoes... Sometimes you would get an injury and nobody could have a look at it.

"She was close to me and we talked a lot. Because of her, I got so far."

Speaking at a pre-race press conference on Friday, Sawe said: "I am capable of a big win in marathons -- and on Sunday."

But Sawe's ambitions go beyond medals and records: he wants to improve the reputation of Kenya's doping-plagued athletics programme.

In July, female marathon world record holder Ruth Chepng'etich became the latest Kenyan athlete to be suspended by the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) for doping.

In the lead-up to Sunday's race, Sawe has undergone an extensive additional testing programme overseen by the AIU.

In addition to the mandatory protocols, Sawe will have completed an additional 25 tests prior to Sunday's race, an average of one every three days.

"In my country, we have a lot of doping cases. Due to a lot of doubt, my team came up with this (plan).

"It was to give that awareness that I am running clean."

Sawe said he hopes the programme helps to "bring back our good name. To show that despite having had a lot of cases, not all (our) athletes run dirty."