BERLIN, Germany September 27, 2026 — Ethiopia’s Tigst Assefa produced one of the fastest women’s marathons in history on Sunday, winning the BMW Berlin Marathon in 2 hours, 11 minutes and 4 seconds after a bold world-record attempt unravelled dramatically in the closing kilometres.
Assefa controlled the race from the opening stages and spent much of the morning running inside world-record pace. She passed 10 kilometres in 30:48, reached halfway in 1:04:57 and crossed 30km in 1:32:19, with projections continuing to put her on course to challenge Ruth Chepngetich’s 2:09:56 world record. With five kilometres remaining, her projected finish was around 2:09:36. Then the race changed.
At around the 40km mark, Assefa’s stride became uneven and she began to limp as an apparent problem with her right leg ended her pursuit of the world record. Her advantage over the field was already enormous, however, and she held on to cross the finish line near the Brandenburg Gate in 2:11:04.
It was still an extraordinary performance. The time was a new Berlin course record and the third-fastest women’s marathon ever recorded. It also improved on Assefa’s previous personal best of 2:11:53, the time she ran in Berlin in 2023 when she set what was then the women’s world record.
Ethiopian Women Sweep the Podium
Behind Assefa, Ethiopia completed a commanding sweep of the women’s podium.
Bedatu Hirpa came through strongly to claim second place in 2:16:53, with Dera Dida finishing only two seconds behind in 2:16:55.
Bekelech Gudeta made it four Ethiopians in the first four places with a 2:18:58 finish, while Alemitu Tariku was fifth in 2:19:01.
Women’s Top Five
- Tigst Assefa (Ethiopia) — 2:11:04
- Bedatu Hirpa (Ethiopia) — 2:16:53
- Dera Dida (Ethiopia) — 2:16:55
- Bekelech Gudeta (Ethiopia) — 2:18:58
- Alemitu Tariku (Ethiopia) — 2:19:01
A Third Berlin Victory for Assefa
Sunday’s triumph continued Assefa’s remarkable relationship with Berlin.
She first won the race in 2022, clocking 2:15:37. A year later she returned and produced a stunning 2:11:53 world record. Her 2026 victory gave her a third Berlin Marathon title and a third course record, a feat the organisers described as unique in the history of the event.
But there was little celebration immediately after the finish. According to race organisers, Assefa was unable to conduct post-race interviews and was taken to hospital for assessment of the leg problem that affected her over the final two kilometres.
For much of the morning, the story appeared destined to be another world record on Berlin’s famously fast streets. Instead, the closing kilometres provided a reminder of the unforgiving nature of the marathon.
Assefa may have missed the world record, but 2:11:04, achieved despite her late difficulties, reinforced her place among the outstanding marathon runners of her generation and delivered another dominant Ethiopian performance on one of road running’s biggest stages.
