Colin ThomasSebastian Save’s former coach tells how the Kenyan was able to build on natural talent and put his name in the history books.
It was time to go hunting for tracks. Days after an athlete he once coached changed the face of distance running forever and his curiosity piqued, Colin Thomas decided to delve into his personal archives.
As one of the many people trying to fully grasp the 1:59:30, the Scotsman’s head was full not just of questions, but of memories he wanted to refresh. He recalls a trip to Kenya in 2018 and meeting a young man in his early 20s who was “quite smartly dressed, black smart shoes, jeans and a blue T-shirt. He didn’t really look like an athlete.” That young man was Sebastian Sau.
This time last year the pages of this magazine featured an interview with Thomas, who is based in Glasgow but whose coaching journey regularly takes him to Ita. Working with fellow trainer John Evo, he was there eight years ago to help build and train a group of eight athletes for whom he had sourced used gear and found accommodation. The self-funded project was halted by Covid in 2020, but it certainly left its mark.
When Soi won London for the first time in 2025, he and Thomas enjoyed a brief reunion to mark a milestone in the Kenyan’s career. They were able to meet again in April, but on this occasion the 31-year-old had done much more than “just” win another major marathon.
“He looked like he could go and do it again,” smiles Thomas, recalling their post-race meeting. “He didn’t seem tired or fatigued. He is not one for celebrating and showing off. He was just very quiet. Introvert. Restrained. We had a very simple conversation and I just congratulated him on what he did. I don’t think it really sunk in with him. it’s a Kenyan thing because they have believed in themselves so much that they just think.
That’s not how the wider world views it. The performance was distorted and admired, while the self-critical part of Thomas’ brain questioned why Soi might not necessarily have stood out during their early meetings in Kenya. That, and simply wanting to cement the memory of those days, is what sparked his own ramble down memory lane.
“I was looking through an old laptop and found one of the song sessions (from before),” says Thomas. “I got someone to come down with a proper camera and film it, which I’m glad I did now. We repeated a 20 x 400m session starting at 65 seconds and getting faster and faster. The last ones were going down in 62 seconds and it’s noticeable how comfortable he (Sabastian) looks, how he (Sabastian) looks comfortable in the group and the other guys in the group. running
“When you look at it, you can see the potential. You wouldn’t think of him as a proper runner in those days. He was pretty new to it, but I think it shows his innate talent. Scientists have always said it takes eight years to build a proper marathon runner, so if you think about it, 2018 to 20.”
He continues. “We also had very quick training sessions with them. I have videos of the group doing simple high knee drills, high knee jumps, anything you do with any young athlete, and then getting them to run flat about 60m.
“I sometimes think: “Why didn’t we see how good he was back then?” But it is easy to overlook because there is so much talent (in Kenya). So many of them are talented and can do amazing, amazing things that the idea of ”he’s going to take a two-hour break” would never have crossed my mind. what did we do?’
That opportunity helped put Soi on the path to where she is now, and Thomas can’t wait to see what’s next in Berlin this fall, though he’s wary of the workload for the athlete, who overcame a stress fracture in his foot and a back problem before London.
“(Sabastian) has already made a big leap and he has run four marathons in 18 months, which is a lot,” Thomas said of his marathon career, which began in December 2024 in Valencia. “We don’t know what effect it will have on his body. I think we’ll find out soon if it’s a lot, and I hope it’s a lot because I hope he doesn’t make a lot of money.” I hope they give him pause and remember he’s not a robot.
What remains clear is the impact that the evolution of elite marathon running is having on the wider sport. Thomas coaches athletes of all levels, and he can see the advancements in speed, footwear, and nutrition starting to trickle down to more recreational runners.
“Everyone wants to get more and more technical about it, probably too much,” he says with a rueful smile. “Honestly, the number of people who, for example, check their blood lactate levels. Why do this when you only run three to five times a week? You don’t have to stab yourself to be faster.
“They just copy what they see because the information is at our fingertips, but we’re just overwhelmed by it. That’s what we can get from elite athletes. We can pick little snippets to learn from. When you go back to normal people, it’s just this.
It was those fundamentals that served So well eight years ago, and as he looks back, there is a sense of pride for Thomas to have played a part in such a significant moment for the sport.
“We’re in a new era of marathon running,” he nods. “There is no doubt about it.”
This article also appears in a special edition of Sub-two AW magazine, out now!
