Gemechu Dida Diriba, also of Ethiopia, was second in 2:03:19. Tanzania’s Gabriel Gerald Geay took third in 2:03:59.
The victory comes five years after Adola’s first Berlin win and improves the personal best he set on his marathon debut on the same course nine years ago.
Compatriot Tigst Assefa won the women’s race in 2:11:04, the third-fastest time in history, after late cramp ended a world-record attempt. Ethiopia therefore swept both elite titles.
Adola sat off the very fastest early splits, then produced a strong second half on a course built for time. The 2:02:50 is among the quicker winning marks in Berlin in recent years and confirms his return to the top of the men’s marathon circuit.
Geay’s bronze continued Tanzania’s presence on major marathon podiums. The Ethiopian one-two at the front underlined the depth of the visiting team.
Adola now has two Berlin crowns and a long-awaited personal best. Assefa’s third Berlin win on the same morning made it a complete Ethiopian day from the Brandenburg Gate.