Ethiopia’s Tigst Assefa broke the women’s marathon world record in Berlin on Sunday, finishing with an official time of two hours 11 minutes and 53 seconds. This time was more than two minutes faster than the previous record set by Brigid Kosgei in 2019. Assefa, a former 800-meter runner, set a blistering pace from the start and continued to increase her speed throughout the race. She expressed her surprise at achieving the world record, attributing it to her hard work. Assefa’s remarkable performance not only sets a benchmark for the Paris Olympics next year but also secures her a likely spot on the Ethiopian Olympic team in 2024.
While Assefa’s victory was extraordinary, it overshadowed the achievement of men’s world record holder Eliud Kipchoge, who won his fifth Berlin Marathon title. Kipchoge, aiming for his third Olympic marathon medal in Paris, finished with a time of two hours two minutes and 42 seconds, which was not close to his record-breaking performance in Berlin last year. However, he expressed his satisfaction with the win and stated that he would use the lessons learned in his preparation for the Olympics. Vincent Kipkemoi of Kenya finished second, followed by Tadese Takele of Ethiopia in third place.
Before the race began, climate activists attempted to disrupt the event by running onto the course with buckets of orange paint. However, they were quickly apprehended by the police just minutes before the start. Despite this incident, the Berlin Marathon lived up to its reputation as one of the world’s fastest races, with Assefa and several other women on pace to break the world record at the halfway mark.
Assefa’s dominance was evident throughout the race, as she maintained her pace and was only slightly slower than Kipchoge at the 37km mark. She finished the marathon with a sensational world record, leaving Sheila Chepkirui of Kenya almost six minutes behind in second place and Magdalena Shauri of Tanzania in third place.
In conclusion, Tigst Assefa’s remarkable performance in the women’s Berlin Marathon shattered the world record, securing her a place in the history books. Her achievement overshadowed Eliud Kipchoge’s fifth victory in the men’s race, although he did not come close to his previous record. Assefa’s record-setting time not only sets a benchmark for future races but also increases her chances of representing Ethiopia in the upcoming Olympics.
