Tigist Ketema and Milkesa Mengesha Earn Victories at the 50th Berlin Marathon

On September 29, the 50th Berlin Marathon featured a remarkable performance with Ethiopian runners claiming victory in both the men's and women's elite categories.

Tigist Ketema took charge of the women’s race right from the start, pulling ahead of the competition and finishing with a time of 2:16:42. Mestawot Fikir followed in second place, finishing more than two minutes later at 2:18:48, while Bosena Mulatie secured the third spot on the podium with a time of 2:19:00. All three athletes hail from Ethiopia.

In the men's competition, Milkesa Mengesha from Ethiopia managed to fend off a challenge from Kenya's Cybrian Kotut in the last few meters, finishing first with a time of 2:03:17, while Kotut crossed the line at 2:03:22. Another Ethiopian runner, Haymanot Alew, secured third place with a time of 2:03:31.

Tigist Ketema's Bold Statement

In the women's elite race last year, Tigst Assefa astonished everyone with an incredible time of 2:11:53, setting a new world record. This year, however, it was her training partner, Ketema, who stole the spotlight.

Not long after the race began, Ketema found herself among a group of male pacemakers, tasked with maintaining a pace of 2:16:00. Her previous best time, 2:16:07, was set during her first marathon in Dubai this past January, making it the quickest debut for any woman in marathon history. Clearly, she was determined to beat that record on the smooth roads of Berlin.

At the midpoint of the race, the only female competitor close to her was Azmera Gebru, but she withdrew after a few kilometers. Ketema kept increasing her lead, supported by pacemakers until the finish, and ultimately won the race with a time that was 2 minutes and 6 seconds faster than Fikir's.

Similar to Assefa, Ketema also transitioned from middle-distance events to longer road races. At 26 years old, she earned a bronze medal in the 800 meters at the 2016 World Junior Championships and has a personal best of 4:00.91 in the 1500 meters, achieved in 2021.

Mengesha Holds Off Kotut In Final Stretch

The men’s race was decided in the last mile.

No obvious frontrunner was evident as the race began, but there was a lot of speculation that Kenya’s Kibiwott Kandie, who previously held the half marathon world record (57:32), would play a significant role. The pace runners guided the competitors to the halfway point in 1:00:57, which aligned perfectly with their goal pace of 2:02:00. It's now standard for elite athletes at World Marathon Majors to start with intensity, and this race followed that trend.

Once the pacers exited the race at about the 73-minute mark, Kandie surged ahead and tried to stretch the competition. However, when he missed grabbing a water bottle around the 30K point, he found it difficult to keep up with the front group. In the end, he finished in 13th place.

With 5K left in the race, there were still five runners in contention. As they approached the final mile, Kotut surged ahead, leaving all but Mengesha behind. Mengesha stayed close to the Kenyan until they rounded a bend that led onto the long stretch towards the finish line near the Brandenburg Gate. At that point, Mengesha gradually began his sprint, pulling away from Kotut and crossing the finish line with his arms raised in celebration.

Mengesha clocked a remarkable time of 2:03:17, significantly beating his former personal record of 2:05:29, achieved at the Valencia Marathon in 2022. He finished sixth in the marathon at the 2023 World Championships held in Budapest and was also an Olympic finalist in the 5,000 meters during the Tokyo Games.

Who Were The Top American Figures?

There were no American runners included on the prestigious start list. Instead, many of the leading marathon athletes from the U.S. will remain in the country this fall. Notable runners like Conner Mantz and Dakotah Lindwurm will participate in the New York Marathon, while Keira D’Amato and Emma Bates, among others, have opted for the Chicago Marathon.

There were a few notable names among the results. Kaylee Flanagan, who has qualified for the Olympic Trials, was the highest-placed woman, completing the race in 2:34:03 and securing 23rd place overall. Her sister, Lindsay, is not only her coach but also a professional runner sponsored by Asics. Kathryn Fluehr from Colorado came in as the second American woman, finishing in 2:36:32, closely followed by Neely Gracey, who recorded a time of 2:36:54 and is a former world record holder in the stroller mile with a record of 5:24.17.

The U.S. men's team was headed by Will Nation, a three-time Trials qualifier, who finished with a time of 2:13:11, coming in 39th overall. He previously competed at the University of Texas and achieved a new personal record, improving his best time by 13 seconds. Following him were Edward Mulder, who clocked in at 2:15:16, and Jackson Neff, who completed the race in 2:16:38, making them the second and third American finishers, respectively.

Eaton: Leading Nonbinary Athlete Today

Kassian Eaton, competing for the Somerville Road Runners, secured the top spot in the nonbinary category with a time of 2:30:28. Cal Calamia, a strong supporter of nonbinary representation in the running community, finished shortly after in 2:41:59. Nate Crail followed him with a time of 2:46:32.

Paralympic Champions Excel In Wheelchair Racing

Marcel Hug and Catherine Debrunner from Switzerland both secured easy victories in the wheelchair events.

Hug claimed his ninth title at the Berlin race, finishing with a time of 1:27:18. He was followed by David Weir, who came in second at 1:29:05, and Geert Schipper, who secured third place with a time of 1:30:33. Debrunner had a strong challenge from Susannah Scaroni throughout much of the competition, but about 7 miles from the end, she pulled ahead and won with a time of 1:08:13. Scaroni finished in second place with a time of 1:38:01, while Manuela Schär came in third at 1:41:14.

Debrunner and Hug recently claimed victory in the T54 marathon at the Paris Paralympic Games earlier this month. This victory marked Debrunner's fifth gold medal overall, while Hug has secured the marathon title at the Paralympics for the third consecutive time.

Theo Kahler serves as the news editor for Runner’s World. He is a former collegiate runner who achieved all-conference status and resides in Easton, PA. Before taking on his current role, he was the newsletters editor for Runner's World, Bicycling, and Popular Mechanics.