Ethiopia’s Tigist Assefa achieved a remarkable feat in Berlin on Sunday, obliterating the women’s marathon world record with a winning time of 2 hours, 11 minutes, and 53 seconds. Her performance surpassed the previous record, set by Kenyan Brigid Kosgei in Chicago in 2019, by more than two minutes.
At 29 years old, Assefa’s exceptional run eclipsed the previous mark of 2 hours, 14 minutes, and 4 seconds. Notably, Assefa crossed the finish line shortly after Kenyan men’s world record holder Eliud Kipchoge clinched his fifth consecutive Berlin marathon victory.
She finished almost six minutes ahead of Kenyan Sheila Chepkirui (+5:56), while Tanzanian Magdalena Shauri finished third (+6:48).
Assefa broke away early in perfect conditions in the German capital and continued her stunning time to become the first woman to set the world record in Berlin since Japan’s Naoko Takahashi in 2001.
