Berlin Marathon 2026 Results: Assefa Sets a 2:11:04 Course Record Despite Late Injury, Adola Wins Again

The 2026 BMW Berlin Marathon on Sunday 27 September gave us one of the most dramatic finishes the race has seen. Tigst Assefa spent almost 40km chasing the women's world record, looked on course to take it, then began limping in the final two kilometres. She still won by almost six minutes, in a course record. In the men's race, Guye Adola timed his move perfectly to win in 2:02:50, a personal best nine years in the making. Here is what happened, how the times compare with previous years, and what everyday runners can take from Berlin into their own training.

What happened at the 2026 Berlin Marathon?

Berlin is famous for its flat, fast course, and this year's race had plenty of record interest. More than 56,000 runners from 162 nations entered, according to the organisers. Conditions were good for most of the morning, but it grew fairly warm as the race went on, which made the closing stages harder for much of the field.

The men's race lost its biggest name before the start. Defending champion Sabastian Sawe, who set the men's world record of 1:59:30 in London this spring, withdrew with an injury and attended as a guest of honour instead. That left an open men's field and put the spotlight firmly on Assefa, a two-time Berlin winner who arrived as the holder of the women-only world record.

How did Tigst Assefa's world record attempt unfold?

Assefa ran behind her pacemakers, unchallenged at the front, almost from the gun. She passed 10km in 30:48 and halfway in 64:57, right on the edge of the 2:09:56 world record set by Ruth Chepngetich in Chicago in 2024. Rather than fading, she kept pressing. At around 37km she was projected to finish in about 2:09:36, and she reached 40km in 2:03:00. That works out at an average of roughly 30:45 for every 10km of the race so far, which is remarkably even pacing for a world record attempt.

Then, at around 40km, her stride became uneven and she began to limp noticeably. Her pace dropped sharply over the final two kilometres and the world record slipped away. Because her lead was so large, she still had time in hand, and she crossed the line beyond the Brandenburg Gate in 2:11:04. Some early reports put the problem down to cramp, but it was later reported that she had torn her Achilles tendon. The organisers said she was taken to hospital after the race and could not do interviews, and her manager said she would have surgery in Munich.

Even with that finish, 2:11:04 is a new Berlin course record. It takes 49 seconds off the 2:11:53 she ran here in 2023, which was the world record at the time, and it is the third-fastest women's marathon ever run. It was also her third Berlin win, after 2022 and 2023, and the organisers noted that she has now set a course record on all three occasions, something no one else has done in the race's history.

Behind her, it was an all-Ethiopian podium. Bedatu Hirpa edged Dera Dida by two seconds for second place, 2:16:53 to 2:16:55, almost six minutes behind the winner.

How did Guye Adola win the men's race?

The men's race was a patient one. A big pack went through halfway together in 61:01, on course for a finish around 2:02. The group thinned out in the second half, and by 30km Adola was at the front alongside fellow Ethiopians Gemechu Dida Diriba and Selemon Barega, with Tanzania's Gabriel Geay close behind.

Adola made the decisive move just under 10km from the finish. By 35km he had a nine-second lead, and it kept growing all the way to the line. He finished in 2:02:50, 29 seconds clear of Dida Diriba (2:03:19), with Geay third in 2:03:59. Barega, who had been part of the final push, faded to fifth.

For the 35-year-old it was a long-awaited breakthrough. His previous best of 2:03:46 came on his marathon debut in Berlin back in 2017, when he finished second to Eliud Kipchoge. Nine years later he finally improved on it, by 56 seconds, and added a second Berlin title to the one he won in 2021. Afterwards he said he had felt confident because his training had gone well, and summed up the day by saying “the race was good, but also tough”. Adola is Assefa's training partner and shares her coach, so it was a memorable, if bittersweet, day for their group.

Who made the podium in Berlin?

Ethiopia took five of the six podium places across the two elite races, with Geay the only runner from outside Ethiopia in the top three.

Times as published by the organisers and in race reports on 27 September 2026. Accurate at the time of writing.

What happened in the wheelchair races?

Switzerland dominated both wheelchair races. Marcel Hug won the men's race in 1:23:28, almost six minutes clear of Japan's Sho Watanabe and the Netherlands' Lito King Anker, who both finished in 1:29:26. Catherine Debrunner won the women's race in 1:35:01, ahead of her compatriot Manuela Schär in 1:41:53.

How did the British runners get on?

Jake Smith was the first British man home in 2:09:24. In the women's race, Lucy Reid was the leading British finisher, 23rd in 2:29:59, just 14 seconds ahead of Katy Wood (2:30:13). The best British placing of the day came in the wheelchair race, where Eden Rainbow-Cooper finished third in 1:44:51.

How do this year's times compare with previous Berlin races?

Berlin has a long history of record-breaking runs, and this year added another chapter, even without a world record. Here is how the 2026 times stack up:

• Women's course record: now 2:11:04, set by Assefa in 2026. Her previous marks here were 2:15:37 when she first won in 2022 and 2:11:53 in 2023.
• Men's course record: still Eliud Kipchoge's 2:01:09 from 2022. Adola finished 1:41 outside it.
• Compared with 2025: last year's race was run in warm conditions, with Sawe winning the men's race in 2:02:16 and Rosemary Wanjiru the women's race in 2:21:05. Adola was 34 seconds slower than Sawe, while Assefa was about ten minutes quicker than Wanjiru.
• Combined winning times: added together, the two winning times come to 4:13:54. The organisers said only Chicago in 2024 (4:12:40) has produced a faster combined total.

The women's world record remains Ruth Chepngetich's 2:09:56. Chepngetich is currently serving a three-year doping ban, but the record she set in 2024 still stands, and Assefa's run shows it is within reach on the right day.

What does Berlin mean for the rest of the autumn marathon season?

Next up among the big autumn marathons are Chicago on Sunday 11 October and New York on Sunday 1 November. Chicago, like Berlin, is flat and known for fast times, while New York's bridges and rolling finish through Central Park tend to make for a more tactical race. Assefa will not feature in the rest of the season, and reports suggest she faces several months out after surgery.

For the thousands of club runners racing this autumn, Berlin is a useful reminder that even the best in the world are at the mercy of pacing, weather and how the body holds up on the day. The good news is that most of those factors can be trained for and planned around.

How should you pace your own marathon?

Look again at Assefa's first 40km: an average of about 30:45 per 10km, with barely any drift. Adola's race was similar in spirit. He sat in the pack through a controlled first half and only pushed once the finish was under 10km away. Neither of them sprinted off the start line hoping to hang on.

Going out too fast is one of the most common marathon mistakes, and it costs far more time in the last 10km than it ever gains in the first. An even pace, or a slightly faster second half (a negative split), is the goal. Here is how to get there:

• Set a realistic goal pace based on your recent long runs and races, not on the time you hope to run.
• Run the first 5km slightly slower than goal pace. It should feel almost too easy. That is the point.
• Check your splits every 5km rather than every few hundred metres, so you are not chasing your watch or reacting to every bridge and corner.
• Reach halfway feeling in control. If you still feel good at 30km, that is the time to press on, just as Adola did.

How does warm weather affect marathon pace?

Berlin started in good conditions but warmed up through the morning, and many in the field slowed in the second half. Last year's hotter race showed the same pattern, with the winning times well outside the course records. When it is warm, your body has to work harder to keep cool, so the same pace feels tougher and your heart rate climbs sooner.

If race day is warmer than you trained for, adjust your plan rather than your ambition. Start more conservatively than your goal pace, use every drinks station, drink to thirst rather than forcing fluids, wear light clothing and a cap, and accept that a slightly slower time on a warm day can be a better run than a faster time on a cool one.

How should you fuel on marathon day?

Elite runners practise their race-day fuelling for months, and you should too. The golden rule is nothing new on race day: use the breakfast, gels and drinks you have already tested on your long runs.

• Eat a familiar, carbohydrate-based breakfast two to three hours before the start.
• Start fuelling early, not when you already feel flat. Many runners take a gel or similar snack every 30 to 45 minutes.
• Follow the instructions on your gels, as some need to be taken with water.
• Rehearse your full routine on at least two or three long runs before race day.

What should the week after a marathon look like?

Assefa's finish is a reminder of the difference between normal soreness and something that needs attention. Stiff, heavy legs for a few days are normal. Sharp or worsening pain, especially around a tendon or joint, is not something to run through.

• Days 1 to 3: rest, walk, sleep well and eat plenty. Gentle mobility work can help you feel less stiff.
• Days 4 to 7: if your legs feel normal walking up and down stairs, try some easy cycling, swimming or a short, gentle jog. If not, keep walking.
• Weeks 2 to 3: build back with easy running and light strength work before any hard sessions or races.
• Any niggle that does not settle: see a physio rather than hoping it goes away.

Thinking about Berlin 2027?

If this year's race has you dreaming of the Brandenburg Gate, know that most Berlin places are given out by lottery, as with the other Abbott World Marathon Majors. For the 2026 race, the lottery opened on 25 September 2025 and closed on 6 November 2025. The 2027 dates had not been confirmed by the organisers at the time of writing, so check the official race website for the latest information.

Whether or not you get a place, a flat autumn marathon is a brilliant first or next goal. Give yourself 16 to 20 weeks of training, with strength and mobility built in alongside your running, so your body is ready for the demands of 42.2km.

How can Edge help you train for your next marathon?

Edge treats running, strength, HIIT and mobility as one plan, so your long runs, speed sessions and gym work fit together rather than competing for your energy. With Edge Pro, you get a fully personalised marathon plan, ready in 15 minutes, built around your goal time and your week, and you can message a real coach anytime with questions about pacing, fuelling or a niggle that will not settle.

Edge syncs with Strava, Garmin, Apple Health and Coros, and 20,000+ members already train with Edge. The app is free to download, and Edge Pro costs from £19.99 a month with a free 7-day trial.

This article is general guidance, not medical advice. If you are new to exercise, returning from injury, pregnant, or managing a health condition, speak to your GP before starting, and see a physio for any niggle that does not settle.