27/09/2026
Tigist Assefa has won the 2026 Berlin Marathon in a phenomenal time of 2:11:04, delivering yet another historic performance on the streets of Germany.
Assefa went aggressively after Ruth Chepngetich's world record of 2:09:56 (set at Chicago in 2024). She crossed the half-marathon mark at a blistering 64:57 and remained well under world-record pace through 35km (1:47:32) and even up to 40km.
Over the final two kilometers, an apparent leg injury or severe cramping caused her to visibly limp. Her final 2.2km split slowed to 8:04 (her slowest of the day by over 30 seconds per kilometer), taking the world record out of reach.
Despite the painful finish, Assefa still crossed the line nearly six minutes ahead of her closest competitor to secure her third career victory in Berlin. Her 2:11:04 mark stands as a new personal best and shatters her own previous Berlin course record of 2:11:53 from 2023.