Course record for Assefa and second Berlin win for Adola

Tigst Assefa improved her best mark by 49 seconds, while Guye Adola won the men's race in a personal best.

By Felix Hartung, Sports Editor
Berlin · 28 September 2026, 09:00 CEST · 2 min read

At a glance

Tigst Assefa sets new women's course record of 2:11:04 hours
Guye Adola wins men's race in personal best of 2:02:50 hours
Haftom Welday and Anna Langerwisch finish as fastest Germans

Tigst Assefa and Guye Adola of Ethiopia won the Berlin Marathon on September 27, 2026. Assefa won the women's race in 2:11:04 hours to celebrate her third victory in Berlin. In doing so, she set a new course record and lowered her own best mark by 49 seconds.

Until around kilometer 40, the runner was still on track for a new world record before problems with her right leg slowed her pace. Behind Assefa, Bedatu Hirpa in 2:16:53 hours and Dera Dida in 2:16:55 hours completed a podium sweep for Ethiopia.

Ethiopian podium sweep and German results

In the men's race, Guye Adola won in 2:02:50 hours. It was his second victory in Berlin following 2021 and a personal best. Second place went to Gemechu Dida Diriba in 2:03:19 hours, ahead of Gabriel Geay of Tanzania, who reached the finish line in 2:03:59 hours.

The top German female competitor was Anna Langerwisch, who finished the marathon in 2:27:31 hours. The fastest German male runner was Haftom Welday of TB Hamburg-Eilbeck, crossing the finish line in 2:08:25 hours.