Tigst Assefa targets marathon world record in Berlin

Tigst Assefa returns to the BMW Berlin Marathon on Sunday with the world record in her sights. The Ethiopian transformed women’s marathon running in Berlin three years ago, clocking 2:11:53 to set a world record that remains the course record. With the global mark now at 2:09:56, she hopes to reclaim it on the same fast streets.

Assefa was measured when asked about the record at the pre-race press conference. “I am really looking forward to running on the fast course in Berlin again and hope that I can continue my success story here on Sunday,” she said through an interpreter. “I am very well prepared and want to run a personal best.”

Berlin has produced 13 marathon world records, more than any other race. Assefa will be chasing the event’s 14th, but she faces a strong field led by defending champion Rosemary Wanjiru. The Kenyan has a personal best of 2:16:14 and is targeting a time under 2:15 rather than Assefa’s anticipated pace.

• How to Watch the 2026 BMW Berlin Marathon Live
• SEE 2026 BERLIN MARATHON RESULTS HERE

Ethiopia’s Bedatu Hirpa, Dera Dida and Zeineba Yimer also hope to break 2:15. Dida, the wife of Olympic marathon champion Tamirat Tola and a training partner of Assefa, expects a competitive race. “We know each other very well of course and I expect us to produce strong performances,” she said.

Another group is expected to target a time under 2:20. Finland’s European champion Alisa Vainio, who ran 2:20:39 for her personal best, hopes to join it despite a busy recent schedule. She competed at the European Championships in Birmingham on 16 August, then won the Finnish Championships marathon in Jyväskylä twelve days ago in 2:27:47. Vainio described the latter race as a training run and said she felt fine afterward.

Germany’s Esther Pfeiffer is also aiming to break 2:20 and challenge Irina Mikitenko’s national record of 2:19:19, set when she won in Berlin in 2008. Pfeiffer has completed only one marathon, winning the 2023 Cologne Marathon in 2:37:00, but her shorter-distance times have improved sharply since then. She ran 67:25 at the Berlin Half Marathon in March and has lowered her 10km best to 30:45. Her husband, German marathon runner Hendrik Pfeiffer, is set to pace her on Sunday.

The women’s field has considerable depth: seven entrants have personal bests under 2:20, while 13 have run under 2:22, a record number for Berlin.

Injury forces Kenenisa Bekele to withdraw

Two-time Berlin winner Kenenisa Bekele has withdrawn after injuring his left Achilles tendon in one of his final training sessions before travelling to Germany.

Elite women’s field

• How to Watch the 2026 BMW Berlin Marathon Live
• SEE 2026 BERLIN MARATHON RESULTS HERE