Berlin Marathon men’s race wide open as Kipchoge’s course record comes into focus
An open men’s race is in prospect at the BMW Berlin Marathon on Sunday, with at least half a dozen runners capable of winning. World record holder Sabastian Sawe has withdrawn because of injury and will attend as a guest of honour, but organisers still expect a fast race. Eliud Kipchoge’s course record of 2:01:09, set when he won in 2022, is the target.
Five runners on the start list have personal bests under 2:05. Race director Mark Milde said the lead group will be paced toward 2:01, raising hopes of a course record. The field also has considerable depth: 26 entrants have run under 2:08. Organisers have registered more than 56,000 marathon entries from 162 nations.
Tanzania’s Gabriel Geay is the fastest man in the field. His national record of 2:03:00 places him among the fastest marathon runners in history, and he is eager for another opportunity in Berlin after withdrawing from last year’s race because of the heat.
Ethiopia’s Guye Adola knows the course well. He ran 2:03:46 on his marathon debut in Berlin in 2017, finishing second to Kipchoge, and returned to win in 2021. The 35-year-old won this spring’s Rotterdam Marathon in 2:03:54, just eight seconds outside his personal best. Adola says he is in the best shape of his life. His training partners in Addis Ababa include Yomif Kejelcha, who ran 1:59:41 for second place at this year’s London Marathon and later reclaimed the half-marathon world record.
Selemon Barega could also make a major breakthrough. The Tokyo Olympic 10,000m champion will contest his third marathon, aiming to improve on his 2:05:00 best. Fellow Ethiopians Getaneh Molla and Shura Kitata bring personal bests of 2:03:34 and 2:03:59, respectively.
A strong Japanese contingent adds to the competition. Eleven runners with personal bests in the 2:06–2:08 range feature on the final start list, and some could challenge Japan’s national record of 2:04:55.
Three Germans will look to benefit from the field’s depth. Sebastian Hendel ran his 2:07:33 best in Berlin two years ago, though injuries and health issues have since interrupted his progress. He says a finish in the 2:08–2:09 range would satisfy him this weekend.
Haftom Welday arrives with a clearer personal-best target after running 2:08:13 in Barcelona in March. Aaron Bienenfeld, meanwhile, clocked 2:08:47 on his marathon debut in Hamburg in April—the fastest debut by a German runner. After another strong training block, he hopes to move into the 2:06–2:08 range.
Elite men
| Athlete | Country | Personal best |
|---|---|---|
| Gabriel Geay | Tanzania | 2:03:00 |
| Getaneh Molla | Ethiopia | 2:03:34 |
| Guye Adola | Ethiopia | 2:03:46 |
| Shura Kitata | Ethiopia | 2:03:59 |
| Erick Sang | Kenya | 2:04:30 |
| Selemon Barega | Ethiopia | 2:05:00 |
| Taresa Tolosa | Ethiopia | 2:05:17 |
| Tadu Abate | Ethiopia | 2:05:38 |
| Asefa Boki | Ethiopia | 2:05:40 |
| Kenya Sonota | Japan | 2:05:59 |
| Tsubasa Ichiyama | Japan | 2:06:00 |
| Kiyoto Hirabayashi | Japan | 2:06:14 |
| Yuhei Urano | Japan | 2:06:23 |
| Hidekazu Hijikata | Japan | 2:06:26 |
| Naoki Koyama | Japan | 2:06:33 |
| Andamlak Belihu | Ethiopia | 2:06:40 |
| Kazuya Nishiyama | Japan | 2:06:45 |
| Gemechu Dida | Ethiopia | 2:06:45 |
| Abel Kipchumba | Kenya | 2:06:49 |
| Daisuke Uekado | Japan | 2:06:54 |
| Jie He | China | 2:06:57 |
| Sebastian Hendel | Germany | 2:07:33 |
| Haftom Welday | Germany | 2:08:13 |
| Aaron Bienenfeld | Germany | 2:08:47 |
