Ethiopian long-distance runner Tigst Assefa won the Berlin Marathon in Germany on Sunday, setting a new women’s world record in the process.
The 26-year-old runner finished in a new world record time of two hours, 11 minutes, and 53 seconds, successfully defending the title she won the previous year.
She shaved off more than two minutes from the 2019 Chicago record set by Kenya’s Brigid Kosgei. The two-time world champion made the transition from the 800m to the marathon in April of last year.
“I am very happy,” she exclaimed. “I wanted to break the marathon world record, but I couldn’t imagine that it would result in a time under 2:12.”
In the men’s race, two-time Olympic champion Eliud Kipchoge of Kenya finished first in 2:02:42 to set a new record and win his fifth consecutive Berlin Marathon.
The 38-year-old ran a time of 2:01:09 in last year’s Berlin Marathon, setting a new men’s world record.
“I was expecting to do the same [break the record], but it did not come; that’s how sport is,” he said. “Every race is a learning lesson.
“I’ll put all my experience of my 21 marathons into next year in the Olympics in Paris and try to be the first to win for the third time, but I would also be happy with the podium.”
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