Tigst Assefa won the women’s Berlin Marathon on Sunday, September 27, 2026, despite an injury in the final stages preventing her from setting a new world record. The Ethiopian athlete completed the race in two hours 11 minutes four seconds, marking the third-fastest time in history. Her performance also saw her break her own Berlin course record.
Meanwhile, Guye Adola, also from Ethiopia, claimed victory in the men’s race with a time of two hours two minutes 50 seconds.
Assefa’s Record-Breaking Effort
Assefa, a silver medallist at the Paris Olympics two years ago and the winner of the 2026 London Marathon, began the race with remarkable pace, leading the field by a minute at the 15km mark. She remained ahead of the world record pace at 35km, but then experienced clear discomfort and her speed diminished in the closing stages, as reported by the BBC. Despite the setback, her time of 2:11:04 surpassed her previous Berlin course record of 2:11:53, which she set in 2023. She also improved on her women’s-only world record of 2:15:41, set at the London Marathon earlier this year, according to Runner’s World.
The current women’s marathon world record of 2:09:56, set by Kenya’s Ruth Chepngetich at the 2024 Chicago Marathon, remains intact, though that result has been overshadowed by a three-year doping ban received in 2025. The top five finishers in the women’s race in Berlin were all from Ethiopia, with Bedatu Hirpa securing second place and Dera Dida finishing third.
Men’s Race Highlights
In the men’s elite field, Guye Adola emerged victorious with a time of 2:02:50. Other strong contenders included Gabriel Geay, who boasts a personal best of 2:03:00, along with Getaneh Molla and Shura Kitata, who have all previously broken the 2:04 mark. Olympic 10,000-meter champion Selemon Barega also competed, holding a marathon best of 2:05:00. Notable withdrawals from the men’s race due to injury included Sabastian Sawe and 44-year-old Olympian and world champion Kenenisa Bekele, who withdrew on Thursday due to an Achilles injury.
Berlin’s Reputation for Speed
The Berlin Marathon is renowned for producing very fast times. In a surprising entry last year, Harry Styles reportedly ran the marathon under the alias ‘Sted Sarandos’, completing the course in 2:59:13, breaking the three-hour mark in only his second marathon, as detailed by Runner’s World.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Q: Who won the women’s Berlin Marathon 2026?
- A: Tigst Assefa of Ethiopia won the women’s race.
- Q: What was Tigst Assefa’s winning time?
- A: Her winning time was 2 hours 11 minutes 4 seconds, which is the third-fastest in history.
- Q: Did Tigst Assefa set a new world record?
- A: No, an injury in the final stages prevented her from breaking the world record, though her time was the third-fastest in history.
- Q: Who won the men’s Berlin Marathon 2026?
- A: Guye Adola of Ethiopia won the men’s race with a time of 2 hours 2 minutes 50 seconds.
