Ethiopia has claimed both elite titles at the 2026 BMW Berlin Marathon, with Tigst Assefa winning the women’s race and Guye Adola taking the men’s crown.
Guye Adola Wins Men’s Race
Adola crossed the finish line in 2:02:50 to win the men’s race, with fellow Ethiopian Gemechu Diriba finishing second in a personal best of 2:03:19. Tanzania’s Gabriel Geay completed the podium in 2:03:59.
Kenya’s Erick Sang was among the leading runners during the race. He passed the 35km mark in 1:42:17, remaining in contention alongside Adola, Diriba, Selemon Barega and Geay before the final stages of the race.
Adola won the marathon in 2021, and his connection to the race dates back to 2017, when he finished second behind fellow Kenyan Eliud Kipchoge in 2:03:46. He entered the 2026 race after winning the Rotterdam Marathon earlier this year in 2:03:54.
The Kenyan men’s challenge was also affected by the withdrawal of defending champion Sabastian Sawe because of injury. Sawe had won the 2025 Berlin Marathon in 2:02:16 and was initially expected to return to defend his title.
Tigst Assefa Beats Kenyan Challenge
In the women’s race, Ethiopia’s Tigst Assefa was the dominant figure, with Kenya’s Rosemary Wanjiru among those attempting to challenge her.
Assefa entered Berlin with a personal best of 2:11:53, recorded on the same course in 2023 when she broke the women’s marathon world record at the time. She also arrived as the winner of the 2026 London Marathon, where she ran 2:15:41, setting the women’s-only marathon world record.
Wanjiru returned as the defending Berlin champion after winning the 2025 race in 2:21:05. Her personal best of 2:16:14 made her one of the principal challengers to Assefa in this year’s race.
Assefa established an early advantage, reaching 15km in 46:13, with Wanjiru 1:50 behind at that stage. By 35km, Assefa had passed through in 1:47:32, continuing her push toward the finish.
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Kenya’s leading men’s representative was Erick Sang, who entered with a personal best of 2:04:30.
Berlin Marathon 2026 Rankings
Men
| Athlete | Country | Time | |
| 1 | Guye Adola | Ethiopia | 2:02:50 |
| 2 | Gemechu Dida Diriba | Ethiopia | 2:03:19 |
| 3 | Gabriel Gerald Geay | Tanzania | 2:03:59 |
| 4 | Getaneh Molla | Ethiopia | 2:04:55 |
| 5 | Selemon Barega | Ethiopia | 2:04:58 |
| 6 | Asefa Boki | Ethiopia | 2:05:32 |
| 7 | Andamlak Belihu | Ethiopia | 2:05:55 |
| 8 | Shura Kitata | Ethiopia | 2:06:04 |
| 9 | Yuhei Urano | Japan | 2:06:09 |
| 10 | Tadu Abate | Ethiopia | 2:07:16 |
Women
| Athlete | Country | Time | |
| 1 | Tigst Assefa | Ethiopia | 2:11:04 |
| 2 | Bedatu Hirpa | Ethiopia | 2:16:53 |
| 3 | Dera Dida | Ethiopia | 2:16:55 |
| 4 | Bekelech Gudeta | Ethiopia | 2:18:58 |
| 5 | Alemitu Tariku | Ethiopia | 2:19:01 |
| 6 | Pascaline Jelagat | Kenya | 2:20:23 |
| 7 | Misgane Alemayehu | Ethiopia | 2:20:27 |
| 8 | Ludwina Chepngetich | Kenya | 2:21:25 |
| 9 | Evaline Chirchir | Kenya | 2:21:32 |
| 10 | Aminet Ahmed | Ethiopia | 2:21:45 |
Kenyans in the 2026 Berlin Marathon
Wanjiru won last year’s race in 2:21:05, edging Ethiopia’s Dera Dida by three seconds. Her Berlin record also includes a second-place finish on her marathon debut in 2022, when she clocked 2:18:00. Her personal best remains 2:16:14, set at the 2024 Tokyo Marathon.
Other Kenyan women entered are Evaline Chirchir, with a personal best of 2:20:33, Pascaline Jelagat (2:22:44), Mary Munanu (2:26:59) and marathon debutant Ludwina Chepngetich.
The men’s Kenyan contingent includes Erick Sang, whose personal best is 2:04:30, alongside Richard Yator (2:07:36), Laban Kiplimo (2:08:23) and Felix Kurui (2:09:13).
Global stars head to Berlin
Ethiopian Tigst Assefa, the former women’s marathon world-record holder, is also participating in the race. Assefa set the then-world record of 2:11:53 in Berlin in 2023 and has previously won the race twice. She also comes into the event after winning the 2026 London Marathon in 2:15:41.
Other prominent women include Ethiopians Dera Dida, Bedatu Hirpa and Zeineba Yimer, while Germany’s Esther Pfeiffer is among the leading European entrants.
In the men’s race, Ethiopia’s Selemon Barega, Guye Adola, Getaneh Molla and Shura Kitata are among the notable names. Tanzania’s marathon record holder Gabriel Geay, who has a 2:03:00 personal best, is also competing.
The men’s course record is also a talking point. Kenya’s Eliud Kipchoge set the Berlin course and world record at the time with 2:01:09 in 2022.
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Berlin’s history of Kenyan Winners
Kenyan athletes have played a major role in the history of the Berlin Marathon, which is known for producing fast times and world records.
Eliud Kipchoge won Berlin multiple times, including his 2022 victory when he lowered the world record to 2:01:09. Sabastian Sawe then took the men’s title in 2025 with 2:02:16.
Sawe was scheduled to return to Berlin as the defending champion after winning the 2025 edition in 2:02:16, the world’s fastest marathon time of the year. He is, however, in Berlin as a guest of honor.
On the women’s side, Wanjiru became the latest Kenyan champion when she won in 2025. Before her victory, she had already announced herself on the Berlin course by finishing second on her marathon debut in 2022.
Ethiopia’s Milkesa Mengesha won the men’s race in 2024 in 2:03:17, while Tigst Ketema won the women’s race that year in 2:16:42.
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