ETHIOPIA’S Tigist Assefa had broken the women’s marathon world record, setting the new mark while winning the long distance race in Berlin, Germany today.
Assefa, who also won last year’s race in Berlin, finished in a time of two hours, 11 minutes and 53 seconds, shaving off more than two minutes from the previous record of 2:14.04 — set by Kenya’s Brigid Kosgei in Chicago, United States of America in 2019.
Assefa’s new mark is the 13th world record to be set in Berlin, where she won last year in 2:15.37 — previously the third fastest time in women’s marathon history.
“I am very happy,” she said. “I wanted to break the marathon world record, but I couldn’t imagine that it would result in a time under 2:12.”
Two-time Olympic champion Eliud Kipchoge was the men’s winner for a record fifth time in Berlin with a run of 2:02.42.
The 38-year-old Kenyan set the men’s record of 2:01.09 in Berlin last year, when he moved level with Ethiopian legend Haile Gebrselassie on four titles.
Kipchoge said after the race that he had expected to break his own world record as he looks forward to a third straight Olympic title in Paris next year.
He has won on five of his six appearances in Berlin and in 16 of his 19 races, including the 2016 and 2020 Olympics, and aims to be the first athlete in history to win three Olympic marathons.
“I was expecting to do the same [break the record], but it did not come, that’s how sport is,” he said. “Every race is a learning lesson.
“I’ll put all my experience of my 21 marathons into next year in the Olympics in Paris and try to be the first to win for the third time, but I would also be happy with the podium.”
