Berlin Marathon, sensational Assefa: world record down by more than 2′

The Berlin marathon – cloudy skies at the start, then sunny with temperatures between 13 and 17° – did not disappoint expectations: the Kenyan Eliud Kipchoge won for the fifth time, a record (2h02’42”), the Ethiopian Tigst Assefa sets a phenomenal world record (2h11’53”).

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Assefa’s feat, in the third marathon of her career, is sensational. The 26-year-old Ethiopian, in one go, increased the world record by more than two minutes: the Kenyan Brigid Kosgei, in Chicago 2019, did 2h14’04”. Athlete from the team of the Trentino manager Gianni Demadonna, a former 1’59” nineteenth-century runner, last year, in Berlin, he imposed himself by arriving practically from nowhere in 2h15’37”, then the third fastest in history. Until this sensational exploit, with the others far away: the Kenyan Sheila Chepkirui was second in 2h17’49”, the Tanzanian Magdalena Shauri third in 2h18’41”.

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Kipchoge at the half time mark (1h00’21”) is on pace to set his own world record (2h01’09” set last year on German roads). Until the 30th km – but with slower pace – he is escorted by the hares and the Ethiopian Derseh Kindie, man from 2h08 ‘. Then he remains alone and from the 35th to the 40th km he feels fatigue. Cala, from behind it seems they might come to their senses, but in the end he shows that even at almost 39 years of age he is still at the top of the world marathon. He wins (the sixteenth race over the distance of the 19 in which he participated) with the eighth fastest time in history, going under the 2h03 mark for the fifth time. Behind him are two debutants: compatriot Vincent Kipkemboi (2h03’13”) and Ethiopian Tadese Takele (2h03’24”).