Key Takeaways
- Ethiopia's Tigst Assefa finished third in the Berlin Marathon, just missing the women's world record.
- Assefa set a new personal best and course record with a time of 2:11:04.
- The women's world record remains with Ruth Chepngetich, despite her doping ban.
Ethiopia's Tigst Assefa narrowly missed out on breaking the women's world record at the Berlin Marathon on Sunday, finishing in third place with a time of 2:11:04, the third best in history.
Assefa, a three-time Berlin winner, had been on track to break the world record and accelerated in the final 10 kilometres, but faded in the closing stages, visibly limping across the finish line before collapsing on the road.
Her late fade meant the women's world record of 2:09:56, set by Ruth Chepngetich, remains in place, despite Chepngetich's three-year doping ban handed down in 2025.
The Berlin Marathon, known for its fast course, has seen the world record broken 13 times, more than anywhere else. The race is held in temperate September, making it one of the fastest of the major marathons.
Assefa's performance was impressive, as she had already opened up a lead of 25 seconds by the 5km mark, which grew to a minute at 15km. She largely stayed on world record pace throughout the race, only dropping below the required tempo at the flat course's only incline.
Despite her late fade, Assefa still managed to set a new personal best and course record, breaking her previous best time of 2:11:53, set in 2023.
The Ethiopian podium was all-Ethiopian, with Bedatu Hirpa finishing second in 2:16:53 and Dera Dida coming in third in 2:16:55.
In the men's race, Ethiopia's Guye Adola won with a time of 2:02:50, adding another Berlin crown to his 2021 victory. Adola's time was off world record pace and outside the course record of 2:01:09, set in 2022 by five-time Berlin winner Eliud Kipchoge.
Adola, a 35-year-old, did not take the lead until the 30-kilometre mark but was able to emerge with a lead of almost 30 seconds when he crossed the finish line. He expressed his love for Berlin and hinted at a possible return to the race.
My goal was to hold back a bit and see what the pacemakers did so I could know exactly what was happening – and that worked wonderfully well.
Guye Adola, Men's race winner
