Tigst Assefa missed a world record by a narrow margin at the Berlin Marathon on September 27, 2026, after suffering severe muscle cramps on the final kilometer. The Ethiopian distance runner crossed the finish line in 2:11:04, securing a course record and the third-fastest women’s time in history at the 52nd running of the event in the German capital.
Berlin Marathon Drama on the Final Kilometer
For much of the 42,195-kilometer course, Assefa ran alone in the elite women’s field under nearly optimal weather conditions, powered by pacemakers and tens of thousands of spectators along the route. Upon crossing the finish line in 02:11:04, she collapsed onto her knees in exhaustion with tears in her eyes.
The performance marks Assefa’s third victory in Berlin, having previously triumphed in 2022 and setting a world record of 2:11:53 at the 2023 race. Her latest time stands as a new personal best and a fresh course record, though it falls short of the global benchmark.
The Global Record Context
Assefa missed the overall world record held by Kenya’s Ruth Chepngetich, who clocked 2:09:56 at the Chicago Marathon in 2024. Chepngetich’s mark remains the official standard despite her current provisional suspension following a positive doping test, leaving the global record books unchanged after the Berlin event.
While Chepngetich opened her record-setting run in Chicago at a faster clip, Assefa maintained a steady pace through the second half of the Berlin race before her late-stage cramps derailed her historic bid. Assefa had previously demonstrated her elite form in April by running 2:15:41 to win the women-only race world record in London.
Men’s Elite Race and German Results
In the men’s division, fellow Ethiopian Guye Adola captured the victory in 2:02:51 after reigning world record holder Sabastian Sawe withdrew due to injury. Adola, 35, set a personal best to lead the men’s elite field in Berlin. Haftom Welday finished as the fastest German male runner with a time of 2:08:25, while top German contenders like European champion Amanal Petros did not enter the race.
In the domestic women’s competition, Berlin police officer Anna Langerwisch finished as the top German runner, placing 16th overall with a personal best of 2:27:31. The Berlin police force publicly congratulated Langerwisch on her performance, praising her endurance and discipline. Meanwhile, German hopeful Esther Pfeiffer experienced an early exit, dropping out near the 15-kilometer mark while attempting to break Irina Mikitenko’s 2008 national record of 2:19:19.
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