Dinki wins Frankfurt Marathon as Petros and Dörfel lead Germany's best day in years

Jirata Dinki won the 43rd Mainova Frankfurt Marathon on Sunday in 2:05:26, a third marathon for the 24-year-old Ethiopian and almost three minutes faster than his previous best. Germany's Amanal Petros, the reigning European champion, pushed him the whole way and took second in 2:05:46, the first German man on the Frankfurt podium in more than 25 years. Kenya's Benard Biwott, the 2024 champion, was third in 2:06:23, with Germans Richard Ringer fifth and Samuel Fitwi seventh.

Zeineba Yimer led the women's race from early on and held off the closing kilometres to win in 2:19:45. The performance of the day belonged to Blanka Dörfel, who finished second in 2:20:46 on her marathon debut, the second-fastest time ever run by a German woman behind only Irina Mikitenko's 2008 German record. Dörfel ran without a watch and said she did not see her time until she reached the finish hall. Ethiopia's Beriha Gebreslasie was third in 2:22:46.

Rain fell through most of the morning and left the course under standing water in places. Petros had set out to chase the European record of 2:03:36 but said the conditions cost him the pace to go with it. A record 19,720 runners from 128 countries started the race, which was also the last for longtime race director Jo Schindler after 25 years in the job.

A wet German podium beats a dry one that nobody shows up for.

Sources: Athletics Illustrated; hessenschau.de.