Ethiopia’s Tigst Assefa won the women’s Berlin Marathon

Ethiopia’s Tigst Assefa delivered an extraordinary, high-stakes performance to claim the elite women’s title at the 52nd Berlin Marathon on Sunday, September 27, 2026. Driving through the famously flat and fast streets of the German capital, Assefa clocked a blazing 2:11:04, marking a new personal best and a Berlin course record. Her effort secured the third-fastest women’s marathon time in history. While the weekend’s festivities kicked off on Saturday, September 26 with various companion events, the flagship elite race took place on Sunday morning in ideal, temperate conditions.

From the opening gun, Assefa, the reigning Olympic silver medalist and two-time Berlin champion, clear-cut her intentions to reclaim the outright mixed marathon world record. The current global mark of 2:09:56, set by Kenya’s Ruth Chepngetich in Chicago, served as the ultimate target. Supported by a highly focused pacemaking team, Assefa separated herself from a world-class field almost immediately.

Her early splits were nothing short of breathtaking. Assefa crossed the 5-kilometer mark in 15:30 and surged past 10 kilometers in a blistering 30:48. Her relentless cadence actually picked up over the second stretch, logging a 30:46 split between 10k and 20k to reach the 20-kilometer mark at 1:01:34. She crossed the halfway point at an astonishing 1:04:57—the third-fastest halfway split ever recorded in a women’s marathon. By that juncture, she had built a massive gap over the rest of the field, transforming the race into a solo time trial against history.

Assefa maintained her torrid pace past the 35-kilometer mark, which she hit at 1:47:32. As she crossed 40 kilometers, the electronic tracking projections still indicated a finishing time tightly ticking just inside the world record. However, the physical toll of the brutal pace struck during the closing stages.

Approaching the final two kilometers, Assefa visibly slowed and began to limp, visibly fighting through an apparent physical injury or severe muscle cramping. In a heart-wrenching final stretch toward the iconic Brandenburg Gate, her world record bid faded by just over a minute. Despite being in clear distress, she showcased phenomenal resilience and grit, grinding out the final kilometer to cross the finish line in tears of both agony and victory.

While Assefa fought her solitary battle at the front, her compatriots engaged in a tight, tactical battle for the remaining podium spots. The depth of the field was immense, but it was Ethiopia that utterly dominated the upper echelon of the leaderboard.

Bedatu Hirpa executed a brilliant, measured race to take second place, crossing the line in 2:16:53. She was pushed all the way to the final meters by Dera Dida, who claimed the third spot on the podium just two seconds behind in 2:16:55. The Ethiopian sweep continued lower into the top five, as Bekelech Gudeta captured fourth place with a time of 2:18:58, closely followed by Alemitu Tariku in fifth at 2:19:01.The defending champion from 2025, Kenya’s Rosemary Wanjiru, attempted to hold onto Assefa’s blistering early pace but ultimately paid the price for the aggressive strategy. Kenya’s top finisher on the day was Pascaline Jelagat, who crossed in sixth place with a time of 2:20:23.

Final Standings in women’s Berlin Marathon:
1. Tigst Assefa (ETH) – 2:11:04 hours
2. Bedatu Hirpa (ETH) – 2:16:53 hours
3. Dera Dida (ETH) – 2:16:55 hours
4. Bekelech Gudeta (ETH) – 2:18:58 hours
5. Alemitu Tariku (ETH) – 2:19:01 hours
6. Pascaline Jelagat (KEN) – 2:20:23 hours
7. Misgane Alemayehu (ETH) – 2:20:27 hours
8. Ludwina Chepngetich (KEN) – 2:21:25 hours
9. Evaline Chirchir (KEN) – 2:21:32 hours
10. Aminet Ahmed (ETH) – 2:21:45 hours

Coupled with Guye Adola’s victory in the men’s division (2:02:50), Assefa’s triumphant run completed a historic Ethiopian double on the streets of Berlin. Though the outright world record remains in standard hands for now, Assefa’s performance will be remembered as one of the most daring and courageous front-running displays in modern marathon history.