Aug 27 (Reuters) - Defending ⁠champion Sabastian Sawe has withdrawn from next month's ⁠Berlin Marathon with a "heavy heart" due to injury, ‌organisers said on Thursday.

The 31-year-old Kenyan had been expected to return to the German capital after a landmark performance at the London ​Marathon in April, where he became ⁠the first man ⁠to run a competitive marathon in under two hours with ⁠a ‌time of 1:59:30.

Sawe finished the Berlin Marathon in two hours two minutes and 16 seconds ⁠in 2025, clocking the world leading time ​of the ‌year despite temperatures reaching up to 25 degrees Celsius.

"It ⁠is with ​a heavy heart that I must inform you I am forced to withdraw from the Berlin Marathon due ⁠to an injury," he said in ​a statement, without specifying the nature of the injury.

"I had been looking forward to achieving something special on the ⁠streets of Berlin and crossing the finish line at the Brandenburg Gate.

"I want to thank everyone who continues to support me and I wish all the runners ​taking part a great race."

The women's ⁠field for the September 27 race remains strong and ​includes Ethiopia's Tigst Assefa, who ‌took nine seconds off her own ​women’s-only world record in London.

(Reporting by Paras J. Haji in Bengaluru; Editing by Ken Ferris)