Assefa wins Berlin in 2:11:04 after her world record attempt breaks down at 40 km

For 40 kilometres on Sunday Tigst Assefa ran the most even world record attempt the marathon has seen. She passed 5 km in 15:30, 10 km in 30:48 and halfway in 1:04:57, the third-fastest half split in a women's marathon. Her 10 km sections read 30:48, 30:46, 30:41 and 30:45. Between 30 and 35 km she sped up, 15:17 for the section, and at 40 km, in 2:03:00, she was projected to finish in 2:09:44, inside Ruth Chepngetich's record of 2:09:56.

Then her stride went. She began to limp, grimacing, and her pace fell away. With more than five minutes in hand she got to the Brandenburg Gate and crossed the line in 2:11:04, the third-fastest marathon ever run by a woman and 49 seconds under the course record of 2:11:53 she set here in 2023. It was her third Berlin win, after 2022 and 2023, and her third marathon victory from her past four.

Bedatu Hirpa was second in 2:16:53, two seconds ahead of Dera Dida, with Bekelech Gudeta and Alemitu Tariku completing an Ethiopian top five. More than 50,000 people finished behind them, on the last Berlin Marathon under the BMW name before Generali takes over in 2027.

The record she chased belongs to Chepngetich, who is serving a three-year ban; the mark predates her positive sample and stands. On Sunday it survived by 68 seconds and two kilometres.

The fastest 40 km a woman has run, and the slowest two that followed. Both will be remembered.

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