BERLIN:
Ethiopia’s Tigst Assefa narrowly missed out on breaking the ladies’s world file on the Berlin Marathon on Sunday, battling by way of damage to cross the end line after being on file tempo for a lot of the race.
Assefa was on observe to interrupt the file and accelerated within the remaining 10 kilometres, however light within the closing phases, visibly limping throughout the end line earlier than collapsing on the street.
The Ethiopian missed the rostrum ceremony as she was receiving medical remedy on the time the honours have been handed out.
She completed in a time of 2hr 11min 04min, the third finest in historical past and breaking her private finest and course file of two:11:53, set in 2023.
Assefa’s late fade means the ladies’s world file of two:09:56 stays within the possession of Ruth Chepngetich, a mark clouded by the Kenyan’s three-year doping ban handed down in 2025.
It was an all-Ethiopian podium as Bedatu Hirpa completed second in 2:16:53 and Dera Dida got here third in 2:16:55.
Ethiopia’s Guye Adola received the lads’s race in 2:02:50, including one other Berlin crown after his 2021 victory within the German capital.
Adola’s time was off world file tempo and outdoors the course file of two:01:09, set in 2022 by five-time Berlin winner Eliud Kipchoge.
The 35-year-old didn’t take the lead within the race till the 30-kilometre mark however was capable of emerge with a lead of just about 30 seconds when he crossed the end line.
“My aim was to carry again a bit and see what the pacemakers did so I might know precisely what was taking place — and that labored splendidly effectively,” Adola stated to Germany’s RTL.
“I really like Berlin, completely. I really like being again right here and there is a fairly good likelihood I will be again once more.”
Gemechu Dida took second in 2:03:19, persevering with a formidable occasion for the Ethiopians, with Gabriel Geay of Tanzania third in 2:03:59.
World file previous
Held in temperate September, the Berlin marathon is taken into account the quickest of the most important programs. The world file has been damaged 13 occasions in Berlin, greater than anyplace else.
The late withdrawal of males’s world file holder Sabastian Sawe, the 2025 Berlin winner who grew to become the primary man to crack the two-hour barrier earlier this 12 months, meant hopes of one other world mark shifted to Assefa.
Paris Olympics silver medallist Assefa, now a three-time winner in Berlin, pledged to run “higher than my finest” earlier than Sunday’s race, which might put her on observe for a shot on the world mark.
Assefa started strongly and had already opened up a lead of 25 seconds by the 5km mark which grew to a minute at 15km.
Assefa largely stayed on world file tempo all through, solely dropping under across the 25km mark on the flat course’s solely incline, earlier than returning to file pace.
The Ethiopian was nonetheless on observe for the file at 35km, pulling 15 seconds away from the tempo wanted. She was nonetheless 10 seconds forward of the required tempo with simply two kilometres to go.
However with the end line virtually in sight, Assefa started to worry by a foot downside and began limping. She gamely fought on however her hopes on the file have been dashed.