Photo via BBC Sport

Injured Assefa narrowly misses world record in Berlin

Tigst Assefa secured victory at the Berlin Marathon this weekend, clocking the third-fastest time in history at two hours 11 minutes and four seconds despite slowing down significantly in the closing stretch due to physical discomfort. The Ethiopian runner had been on track to break the world record established by Ruth Chepngetich at the 2024 Chicago Marathon, maintaining a commanding lead by the 15km mark and staying ahead of record pace at 35km.

Although she faded before the finish line, Assefa still managed to break her own previous Berlin course record and personal best of 2:11:53 set in 2023, while also improving upon her performance from the London Marathon earlier in the year. The women's podium was completely dominated by Ethiopian competitors, with Bedatu Hirpa taking second place and Dera Dida finishing third.

In the men's division, Guye Adola claimed first place with a finishing time of two hours two minutes and fifty seconds.

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