C1300 words2:05News Report American AccentPublished May 16, 2026 · Updated May 16, 2026

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When Sabastian Sawe became the first person to complete an official marathon in under two hours last month, global media coverage overwhelmingly fixated on his carbon-plated shoes.

Yet inside an unremarkable office building in Gothenburg, Sweden, a team of scientists argued that another factor deserved equal recognition.

Their employer, the sports nutrition brand Maurten, has quietly revolutionised marathon innovation through hydrogels, high-carbohydrate drinks, and bicarbonate formulations that elite runners now consider indispensable.

Olof Sköld, co-founder and chief executive of Maurten, emphasised that the company's influence extends far beyond what meets the eye.

He noted that while shoe brands command enormous visibility on podiums worldwide, Maurten remains the sole constant among record-breaking performances.

Since 2018, every men's and women's marathon world record has been achieved by an athlete fuelled by their nutrition products.

Were it not for their research development, Sköld suggested, the landscape of elite distance running would look fundamentally different.

The Gothenburg headquarters reflects the company's growing stature, with conference rooms named after distance running legends including Eliud Kipchoge and Keely Hodgkinson.

The latest addition honours Sawe himself, whose London Marathon time of one hour, fifty-nine minutes, and thirty seconds redefined human endurance.

#10

Not only did his performance shatter expectations, but it also validated years of meticulous sports science research conducted in relative obscurity.

#11

The dominance of Maurten's products at the London Marathon was striking in its own right.

#12

Seven of the top eight male finishers maintained an official relationship with the Swedish company, as did five of the top six women.

#13

Should this trend persist, the question arises whether performance enhancement through nutrition science might eventually rival the impact of advanced footwear technology.

#14

Can hydrogels and carefully engineered carbohydrate delivery systems truly give super spikes a run for their money?

#15

The evidence from London would strongly suggest so.

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Sawe’s secret sauce: inside the lab that fuelled historic sub-two hour marathon

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