The 2026 Berlin Marathon was supposed to answer one question: could Tigst Assefa take another shot at the women’s marathon world record on the course where she once owned it…For most of the race, the answer looked like yes.
Assefa won the 2026 Berlin Marathon on Sunday, September 27, in 2:11:04, setting a personal best and lowering her own Berlin course record by 49 seconds. Guye Adola completed an Ethiopian sweep by winning the men’s race in 2:02:50, also a personal best.
Assefa did not get the 2:09:56 world record she was looking for. She spent almost 25 miles running at a pace few women in history have ever attempted, then still finished with one of the fastest marathon times ever recorded.
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Tigst Assefa Runs 2:11:04 at the 2026 Berlin Marathon
Assefa’s race was a race against the clock almost immediately. She separated from the rest of the women early, leaving the competitive portion of the race behind while her projected finishing time stayed around the women’s world record. By 40K she had run 2:03:00, which still put a sub-2:10 finish within reach.
Assefa began struggling late and her pace dropped before she crossed the finish in 2:11:04. World Athletics reported that she appeared to be dealing with a physical issue during the closing portion of the race.
The world record remained 2:09:56, set by Ruth Chepngetich at the 2024 Chicago Marathon, but Assefa still ran 49 seconds faster than the 2:11:53 she produced in Berlin in 2023. That 2023 performance had been the world record at the time. Her 2026 victory was also her third Berlin Marathon win after victories in 2022 and 2023.
How Fast Is a 2:11:04 Marathon?
A 2:11:04 marathon averages approximately 5:00 per mile for 26.2 miles. She was still close enough to 2:09 pace at 40K that the women’s marathon world record remained in play with barely more than a mile left.
Women’s distance running has moved quickly over the past several seasons, and Berlin added another performance to that progression. I recently wrote about Yomif Kejelcha running 56:51 for the half marathon, another example of how rapidly elite road-running times have changed in 2026.
2026 Berlin Marathon Women’s Results
The women’s podium was entirely Ethiopian, and Assefa finished almost six minutes ahead of second place.
- Tigst Assefa, Ethiopia: 2:11:04
- Bedatu Hirpa, Ethiopia: 2:16:53
- Dera Dida, Ethiopia: 2:16:55
- Bekelech Gudeta, Ethiopia: 2:18:58
- Alemitu Tariku, Ethiopia: 2:19:01
- Pascaline Jelagat, Kenya: 2:20:23
- Misgane Alemayehu, Ethiopia: 2:20:27
- Ludwina Chepngetich, Kenya: 2:21:25
- Evaline Chirchir, Kenya: 2:21:32
- Aminet Ahmed, Ethiopia: 2:21:45
Hirpa and Dida were separated by only two seconds for second and third, while Ethiopian runners filled the first five positions.
Guye Adola Wins the 2026 Berlin Marathon in 2:02:50
The men’s race developed very differently. A larger group remained together through the first half before the field began thinning later in the race. Adola eventually moved clear and finished in 2:02:50, cutting almost a minute from the 2:03:46 personal best he ran during his Berlin Marathon debut in 2017. That debut ended with Adola finishing second behind Eliud Kipchoge.
Nine years later, Adola returned to Berlin and ran the fastest marathon of his career. The win also gave him a second Berlin Marathon title after his victory in 2021. Adola has now won two major marathons during 2026. He also won the Rotterdam Marathon in April in 2:03:54.
2026 Berlin Marathon Men’s Results
- Guye Adola, Ethiopia: 2:02:50
- Gemechu Dida, Ethiopia: 2:03:19
- Gabriel Geay, Tanzania: 2:03:59
- Getaneh Molla, Ethiopia: 2:04:55
- Selemon Barega, Ethiopia: 2:04:58
- Asefa Boki, Ethiopia: 2:05:32
- Andamlak Belihu, Ethiopia: 2:05:55
- Shura Kitata, Ethiopia: 2:06:04
- Yuhei Urano, Japan: 2:06:09
- Tadu Abate, Ethiopia: 2:07:16
Ethiopian runners took eight of the top 10 places in the men’s race and five of the top five places in the women’s race.
Ethiopia Dominated the 2026 Berlin Marathon
Looking beyond the two winners, Ethiopia’s depth is one of the biggest stories from Berlin.
Assefa, Hirpa, Dida, Gudeta and Tariku swept the first five places in the women’s field. On the men’s side, Adola and Dida finished first and second, with Ethiopian runners filling most of the top 10.
That gave Ethiopia both individual victories, both runner-up finishes and overwhelming representation near the front of each elite race.
Why Berlin Continues to Produce Fast Marathon Times
Berlin has been tied to some of the fastest marathon performances in history, and its flat course has long attracted runners targeting records and personal bests.
Assefa previously set the women’s world record there in 2023, while Eliud Kipchoge ran the former men’s world record of 2:01:09 in Berlin in 2022.
The official BMW Berlin Marathon results page includes searchable Berlin Marathon results from the full 2026 field.
Berlin also sits in a busy fall marathon stretch. The New York City Marathon is coming next, and the course will look slightly different this year after organizers changed a portion of the Bronx route. I covered the 2026 NYC Marathon course change here.
2026 Berlin Marathon Results Takeaways
The biggest number from Berlin is obviously Assefa’s 2:11:04. Adola’s 2:02:50 should not get lost either (but we love when women’s running in the headline here).
Berlin ended with two Ethiopian winners, two personal bests and another reminder that marathon performances once considered almost impossible are becoming much less rare.
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Question for you: How long do you think the women’s 2:09:56 marathon world record will last?