Ethiopian Tigist Assefa shatters the world record at the Berlin marathon, Eliud Kipchoge wins a fifth title

She broke the world record. Ethiopian runner Tigist Assefa won the Berlin marathon on Sunday September 24, beating the world record by more than two minutes in 2h11.52, on this course known as the fastest on the circuit. At 26, she erases the record of Kenyan Brigid Kosgei, who set a time of 2h14”04 during the Chicago marathon in 2019.

Tigist Assefa thus becomes the first athlete to go under 2 hours and 12 minutes, and signs her second consecutive victory in Berlin, after her success last year in 2h15”37. At the time, she had set the record on the Berlin course, which is conducive to world records. The Kenyan Sheila Chepkirui (2h17”49) and the Tanzanian Shauri Magdalena (2h18”41) completes the podium. The first Frenchwoman, Anaïs Quemener, finished 22nd in 2h29”01.

Kipchoge fails to beat his own record

In the men’s race, Eliud Kipchoge crossed the finish line first, in 2h02”42”, without beating his own world record (2’01”09), set last year in Berlin. Five months after his failure in Boston and less than a year before the challenge of an unprecedented Olympic hat-trick in Paris, the 38-year-old Kenyan became the most successful marathon runner in Berlin with five victories in 2015, 2017, 2018, 2022 and now 2023, one more than the Ethiopian Haile Gebrselassie (2006, 2007, 2008, 2009). For their first participation, Vincent Kipkemoi, second (2h03”13) and Tadese Takele (2h03”24) completely finished on the podium.