Assefa's Record Attempt Ends in Heartbreak at Berlin Marathon — image accompanying Athletics Weekly's report. Image accompanying Athletics Weekly’s report; reduced and presented for news commentary with the attributed report. View the complete source report.
Tigist Assefa's bid to break the women's marathon world record ended in disappointment at the Berlin Marathon. Despite leading for most of the race, she began limping in the final mile. She finished with a time of 2:11:04, just short of Ruth Chepngetich's record of 2:09:56.
Assefa, who had been on pace to break the record, saw her time slip away as she struggled in the final stages. The cause of her limp was not immediately clear, but it prevented her from achieving the milestone. She remains the women-only world record holder with a time of 2:15:41. Read more racing coverage.
Guye Adola won the men's race with a time of 2:02:50, securing his second Berlin Marathon title. The race saw strong performances from Ethiopian runners, with the top five positions all held by Ethiopians in the women's race. Related: Berlin Marathon: Tigst Assefa Aims for World Record.
This original Runner World brief is based on reporting from Athletics Weekly. Visit the source for its complete reporting, context and any later corrections.
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What should runners know about Assefa's Record Attempt Ends in Heartbreak at Berlin Marathon?
Tigist Assefa narrowly missed breaking the women's marathon world record in Berlin. Tigist Assefa's bid to break the women's marathon world record ended in disappointment at the Berlin Marathon. Despite leading for most of the race, she began limping in the final mile. She finished with a time of 2:11:04, just short of Ruth Chepngetich's record of 2:09:56.
When did Runner World publish this racing brief?
Runner World published this brief on September 27, 2026. The underlying Athletics Weekly report was dated September 27, 2026.
Where can readers find the complete original report?
This summary is based on reporting from Athletics Weekly. The attributed source link in the article leads to the publisher’s complete report.
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