Two victories turned Berlin into an Ethiopian showcase.
Berlin
Ethiopian runners dominated the 52nd Berlin Marathon as Guye Adola won the men’s race and Tigst Assefa triumphed in the women’s event. Adola crossed the finish line in 2:03:51 after breaking away from the leading group around the 35 kilometer mark. The performance gave him a new personal best and the 13th fastest marathon time ever recorded. His compatriot Gemechu Dida Dirida finished second, completing a powerful Ethiopian showing in the men’s race.
The women’s competition delivered an even more dramatic finish. Assefa spent much of the race on world record pace before suddenly beginning to limp near the finish. She was unable to maintain the required speed and ultimately missed the world record by more than a minute. Even so, her 2:11:04 finish became the third fastest women’s marathon performance in history and set a new Berlin course record.
The victory also extended Assefa’s remarkable relationship with Berlin. She had already won the race in 2022 and 2023, making this another defining performance on one of the fastest marathon courses in the world. Her ability to finish despite visible physical difficulty added another layer to a race already shaped by extraordinary pace. The result reinforced Ethiopia’s position as one of the dominant forces in global distance running.
Beyond the elite competition, the 2026 Berlin Marathon reached historic participation levels. More than 56,000 runners started the main race in six successive waves, representing 162 countries. About one third of the field was female and two thirds male, while the largest age group ranged from 28 to 38 years old. Germany provided the biggest national contingent with around 21,500 runners, followed by large groups from the United States and the United Kingdom.
Across the entire weekend, approximately 84,000 athletes took part in the broader marathon program. That total included inline skaters, children and young people in the Mini Marathon, participants in additional mass races, handbike competitors and wheelchair athletes. Up to one million spectators lined the route through Berlin’s ten districts, confirming the event’s status as both a major sporting competition and one of Europe’s largest urban athletic gatherings.
For Ethiopia, however, the headline was unmistakable. Adola and Assefa did more than win their races. Together, they turned Berlin into a statement of national endurance at the highest level.
Hechos que no se doblan. / Facts that do not bend.