The Surprising Garmin Watch London Marathon Winner Sabastian Sawe Used

InnovationConsumer TechThe Surprising Garmin Watch London Marathon Winner Sabastian Sawe UsedByAndrew Williams,Contributor.Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights. I write about fitness, health and wearable techFollow AuthorApr 28, 2026, 05:46am EDT--:-- / --:--This voice experience is generated by AI. Learn more.This voice experience is generated by AI. Learn more.Garmin Forerunner 55GarminYou might imagine a runner like Sabastian Sawe, who just won the London Marathon while setting a new sub-2-hour world record, could use any Garmin watch he likes. But the one he wore for the race was surprisingly humble. Based on analysis of photos from the London Marathon 2026, Sawe appears to have worn Garmin’s most basic runner’s watch, the Forerunner 55. This watch has almost none of the advancements Garmin has highlighted in its more recent high-end watches. It has no OLED screen, no dual-band GPS — and parts of the London Marathon course can be tricky for GPS coverage — and its statistical output is limited compared to, for example, a Forerunner 970’s. The Forerunner 55 is also old. It was released in the Summer of 2021, which was the year the Apple Watch Series 7 was released — Apple is now on the Watch Series 11 generation. Some have suggested Sawe wore the higher-end Forerunner 255, but his watch appears to have the larger screen surround and markings of the even more affordable Forerunner 55, based on photo pixel peeping. What is the Forerunner 55 Garmin Watch?Why would Sawe use such a basic Garmin watch? It’s likely a case of the Forerunner 55 being the right tool for the job. And it helps that it’s an unobtrusive thing, weighing just 37g including strap. MORE FOR YOUThe MIP screen of the Forerunner 55 does not have to light up via a gesture to become visible in direct sunlight, as it feeds off ambient light. For all its humble roots, the watch is an ideal companion for races where you want to be able to ignore the watch much of the time. A...