Current:Home > ContactTigst Assefa shatters women’s marathon world record in Berlin -LegacyCapital
Tigst Assefa shatters women’s marathon world record in Berlin
View
Date:2025-04-12 18:28:43
BERLIN (AP) — Tigst Assefa broke the women’s world record by more than two minutes Sunday at the Berlin Marathon, as Eliud Kipchoge won the men’s race for the fifth time but couldn’t break his own record.
Ethiopian runner Assefa, the winner in Berlin a year ago, ran the race in 2 hours, 11 minutes, 53 seconds to break the previous women’s record of 2:14:04 set by Kenya’s Brigid Kosgei at the Chicago Marathon in 2019.
Assefa sank to her knees after crossing the line and raised her arms, then celebrated with the flag of Ethiopia. She was nearly six minutes clear of any other runner in Sunday’s marathon, with Sheila Chepkirui of Kenya second in 2:17:49 and Tanzania’s Magdalena Shauri third in 2:18:41.
Assefa once specialized in shorter events on the track and competed in the heats of the 800 meters at the 2016 Olympics, but found much more success after switching to road running in recent years. She ran her first marathon in March 2022 in Riyadh before winning in Berlin in a course-record time of 2:15:37 last year.
The Berlin course is a favorite for runners chasing world records because of its flat terrain and cool weather. It’s seen a succession of men’s records tumble over the last two decades, but Assefa was the first to break the women’s world record in the German capital since 2001.
STAY UP-TO-DATE: Subscribe to our Sports newsletter for exclusive content
In the men’s event, Kipchoge ran alone from 32 kilometers (20 miles) onward after Ethiopia’s Derseh Kindie dropped away, but slowed slightly toward the end. His time of 2 hours, 2 minutes, 42 seconds was more than a minute and a half off the record he set in Berlin last year.
Kipchoge’s fellow Kenyan Vincent Kipkemoi was second in 2:03:13 with Tadese Takele of Ethiopia close behind in 2:03:24.
Kipchoge broke the two-hour barrier in Vienna in 2019 when he ran 1:59:40 but it was not officially considered the world record. He was running in an event that did not conform to regulations because it was tailored around his time, with groups of pacemakers and drinks delivered by a cyclist.
The German environmental group Last Generation had signaled it intended to disrupt the Berlin Marathon. Police and security personnel led away a group of Last Generation activists who entered the course from either side of the road and attempted to block the route shortly before the start of the race. Marathon runners passed streaks of bright orange paint that were splashed across the road during the protest.
Last Generation previously sprayed paint over the Brandenburg Gate last week. The popular landmark and symbol of Germany is located near the finish of the marathon course.
veryGood! (117)
Related
- A Mississippi company is sentenced for mislabeling cheap seafood as premium local fish
- Elmore Nickleberry, a Memphis sanitation worker who marched with Martin Luther King, has died at 92
- Truck driver sentenced to a year in prison for crash that killed New Hampshire trooper
- As Vermont grapples with spike in overdose deaths, House approves safe injection sites
- Family of explorer who died in the Titan sub implosion seeks $50M-plus in wrongful death lawsuit
- Emma Stone applies to be on regular 'Jeopardy!' every year: 'I want to earn my stripes'
- Google layoffs 2024: Hundreds of employees on hardware, engineering teams lose jobs
- Former LA County sheriff’s deputy pleads no contest to lesser charges in fatal on-duty shooting
- The GOP and Kansas’ Democratic governor ousted targeted lawmakers in the state’s primary
- Simon Cowell’s Cute New Family Member Has Got a Talent for Puppy Dog Eyes
Ranking
- Elon Musk's skyrocketing net worth: He's the first person with over $400 billion
- Tragedy unravels idyllic suburban life in 'Mothers' Instinct' trailer with Anne Hathaway, Jessica Chastain
- Prosecutors urge rejection of ex-cop’s bid to dismiss civil rights conviction in George Floyd murder
- Quaker Oats recall expands: Various Cap'n Crunch cereals, Gatorade bars on list for salmonella risk
- The 401(k) millionaires club keeps growing. We'll tell you how to join.
- In 100 days, the Israel-Hamas war has transformed the region. The fighting shows no signs of ending
- Watch this little girl with progressive hearing loss get a furry new best friend
- 3 Austin officers are cleared in a fatal shooting during a standoff where an officer was killed
Recommendation
Illinois governor calls for resignation of sheriff whose deputy fatally shot Black woman in her home
Winter storm to bring snow, winds, ice and life-threatening chill to US, forecasters warn
Missing Mom Jennifer Dulos Declared Dead Nearly 5 Years After Disappearance
As Vermont grapples with spike in overdose deaths, House approves safe injection sites
In ‘Nickel Boys,’ striving for a new way to see
'Mean Girls' cast 2024: Who plays Regina George, Cady Heron and The Plastics in new movie?
More than 30 Palestinians were reported killed in Israeli airstrikes in the Gaza Strip
Michael J. Fox explains why 'Parkinson's has been a gift' at National Board of Review gala