In a jaw-dropping display of athleticism, Tigst Assefa left the world in awe as she shattered the women’s marathon world record by a staggering two minutes and eleven seconds at the illustrious Berlin Marathon. While Eliud Kipchoge claimed his fifth victory in the men’s race, he fell short of breaking his own record.
Hailing from Ethiopia, Tigst Assefa, who had clinched the Berlin Marathon title a year earlier, etched her name in history with a remarkable time of 2 hours, 11 minutes, and 53 seconds.
This incredible feat obliterated the previous women’s record of 2 hours, 14 minutes, and 4 seconds, held by Brigid Kosgei, achieved at the Chicago Marathon in 2019.
Eliud Kipchoge’s run was nothing short of spectacular as he charged ahead solo from the 32-kilometer mark (20 miles) onward. However, as the finish line neared, he faced a slight dip in pace. Ultimately, Kipchoge clocked in at 2 hours, 2 minutes, and 42 seconds, falling short by more than a minute and a half of his own Berlin record from the previous year.
It’s worth noting that Kipchoge had famously broken the elusive two-hour barrier in Vienna in 2019, registering an astonishing time of 1 hour, 59 minutes, and 40 seconds. However, this achievement was not officially recognized as the world record due to the unique circumstances of the event.
The race was meticulously tailored to his abilities, featuring groups of pacemakers and a cyclist delivering drinks, thus deviating from standard regulations.
In a twist to the day’s events, the Berlin Marathon faced potential disruptions as the German environmental group Last Generation had hinted at causing disturbances. However, vigilant police and security personnel thwarted a group of individuals attempting to block the route just before the race began, although the road bore witness to a splatter of orange paint, marking the group’s symbolic protest.
