Guye Adola wins Berlin again in 2:02:50, nine years after his debut there behind Kipchoge

The men's race in Berlin on Sunday stayed together far longer than the women's. A big group passed 10 km in 28:58 and nine men reached halfway in 1:01:01: Guye Adola, Selemon Barega, Gemechu Dida, Andamlak Belihu, Shura Kitata, Asefa Boki, Getaneh Molla and Tanzania's Gabriel Geay among them. The group began to stretch after 25 km. At 30 km, in 1:26:57, Adola was in front with Barega, Dida and Geay close. Geay lost touch a couple of kilometres later, Adola made his move, and by 35 km he led Dida by nine seconds with Barega four more back.

He was never challenged again and finished in 2:02:50, a lifetime best by almost a minute. His previous best, 2:03:46, came on his marathon debut here in 2017, when he pushed Eliud Kipchoge all the way and finished second. He won Berlin in 2021, won Rotterdam this April in 2:03:54, and now has two Berlin titles. His training partner Tigst Assefa won the women's race an hour earlier.

Dida closed well for second in 2:03:19. Geay was third in 2:03:59, Molla overtook Barega for fourth, 2:04:55 to 2:04:58, and Boki, Belihu and Kitata followed, with Yuhei Urano the first Japanese finisher in ninth in 2:06:09. The first ten were separated by less than five minutes. More than 50,000 runners finished the last BMW-sponsored Berlin Marathon; Generali takes the title from 2027.

Nine years between a debut and a best on the same roads. Berlin keeps its accounts open.

Sources: World Athletics; Athletics Weekly; BMW Berlin Marathon.