Sawe won in a time of one hour 59 minutes 30 seconds, more than one minute faster than the late Kelvin Kiptum’s previous marathon record of 2:00:35, set in 2023.
In a remarkable race, Ethiopia’s Yomif Kejelcha also broke the two-hour barrier while finishing in second place, and third-placed Jacob Kiplimo also beat the previous world record.
Botswana winning the men’s 4x400m relay title in front of a wild home crowd at the world relays was the third nominee.
The awards take place in Monaco on 29 November, with the men’s and women’s athlete of the year, rising star and coach among the other awards to be presented.