The Ethiopian,
30, passed halfway in
64:57 and was inside
Ruth Chepng’etich’s world record of
2:09:56 at
35km. After
40km she began to limp with cramp. She still finished about six minutes ahead of compatriot
Bedatu Hirpa (
2:16:53).
Dera Dida was third in
2:16:55. Ethiopia filled the first five places.
The time took 49 seconds off her own Berlin course record of 2:11:53 from 2023. It is her third win in the German capital (2022, 2023, 2026) and her fifth major marathon title.
Guye Adola completed an Ethiopian double in the men’s race in a personal best 2:02:50, his second Berlin victory.
Assefa is a Paris
2024 Olympic silver medallist and a former world-record holder. She had looked set for
2:09 until the closing stretch towards the Brandenburg Gate. She crossed the line and needed help from coach
Haile Gebrselassie.
The record stayed with Chepng’etich. Assefa moved clear in third on the all-time list and left Berlin with another title, a course record and a reminder of how fine the line is at the end of a marathon.
