Assefa Wins Berlin Marathon in Fast Time, But Injury Prevents World Record Attempt
The Ethiopian runner, nursing an injury, secured victory with the third-fastest women's marathon time in history.
Ethiopian runner Tigst Assefa won the Berlin Marathon on Sunday with a time of two hours, 11 minutes, and four seconds, narrowly missing the women's world record due to an injury sustained during the race. Despite the setback, Assefa's winning time is the third-fastest in history.
Assefa, who won the silver medal at the Paris Olympics two years ago, had been on pace to break the world record for much of the race. She started rapidly, holding a one-minute lead by the 15km mark and running ahead of the record pace at 35km. However, she began to show visible discomfort in the later stages, slowing her pace significantly.
Her performance still shattered the previous Berlin course record of 2:11:53, which she set herself in 2023 and was also her personal best. This time also surpassed her previous best of 2:15:41 set at the London Marathon earlier this year.
The remaining top five finishers in the women's race were also from Ethiopia, with Bedatu Hirpa finishing second and Dera Dida taking third place.
In the men's division, Ethiopian runner Guye Adola claimed victory with a time of 2:02:50.
The current women's world record remains 2:09:56, set by Kenyan athlete Ruth Chepngetich at the 2024 Chicago Marathon. However, that record has been overshadowed by Chepngetich's three-year doping ban, received in 2025.