The Ethiopian duo Guye Adola (2:02:51) and Tigst Assefa (2:11:04) clinched victory this Sunday at the Berlin Marathon in Germany, dominating a race that counted 56,000 runners from 162 countries. Adola, 35, and winner this year of the Rotterdam Marathon, maintains his idyll with Berlin, where he already won in 2021, was runner-up in 2017 and fourth in 2025. This time he did it after running most of the race in solo pace and crossing the finish line prominently with a time of 2:02:51, the best among his four appearances in the German city. Second place went to the also-Ethiopian Gemechu Dida (2:03:19) and third to the Tanzanian Gabriel Geay (2:03:59). The first European to cross the finish line was the German Haftom Welday (2:08:25), sixteenth. The course record in the men’s category remains held by Kenyan Eliud Kipchoge at 2:01:09 since 2022.
In the women’s category Tigst Assefa won decisively, but did not manage to reach her objective. Three years ago, in 2023, the Olympic silver medallist in Paris 2024 and world champion in Tokyo 2025, won in Berlin with 2:11:53, at that time the world record. Less than a year later, Chepngetich, in Chicago (United States), lowered a mark that the Ethiopian now seeks to improve. Assefa arrived in Berlin this year with the aim of challenging a new world record, but was unable to achieve it. On the pavement she found no rival and remained on world-record pace until the 40-km mark, although some physical discomfort in the final stretch slowed her pace and she finished the last kilometers limping. The Ethiopian, 29, crossed the finish line with a time of 2:11:04, a new course record, having passed the half-marathon in 1:04:57, her best mark at that distance, flanked by her pacers. On the podium Assefa was joined by two compatriots: Bedatu Hirpa was second (2:16:53) and Dera Dida third (2:16:56). In addition, also fourth, Bekelech Gudeta (2:18:58), and fifth, Alemitu Tariku (2:19:01), were Ethiopians. Kenyan Rosemary Wanjiru, champion in 2025, began with a best of 2:16:14 and aimed to go sub-2:15 but ultimately finished thirteenth with a time of 2:24:05.
