Tigst Assefa of Ethiopia took advantage of the warm weather to pull away late for her first London Marathon title on Sunday, setting a record time for a women's-only race in the process. Assefa ...

Tigst Assefa's path to smashing a world record in Berlin was an unusual one. She's gone from one of the world's best in the 800 meters to the best in the world in the marathon.

Assefa, 26, crossed the finish line at the Brandenburg Gate with a time of 2:11:53. The previous world record had been held by Brigid Kosgei, who completed a 2019 marathon in Chicago in 2:14:04.

Assefa, 28, previously won the 2022 and 2023 Berlin Marathons—the latter of which she set the world record of 2:11:53, which has since been broken by Ruth Chepngetich (2:09:56) in 2024.

And actually, Assefa also bettered the world record set at the Polytechnic Marathon in England on June 12, 1965, by Japan’s Morio Shigematsu, who clocked 2:12:00.

Energised by her latest world record, Adidas athlete Assefa visited the brand’s archive in Herzogenaurach, Germany, to reflect upon the things that she does, thinks and wears when she sets out to win.

Assefa ran 2:11:53 (5:02 mile pace) to break the previous record of 2:14:04 held by Kenya’s Brigid Kosgei. Assefa, who won at Berlin last year as well, won Sunday’s race by nearly six minutes.

Assefa will wear a J. Mendel gown, while Puck's colleagues will oversee the feast. "I'm the happiest woman on the planet. I feel like he's a gift," says Assefa, 37.

Assefa’s result is even more shocking given her background as an 800-meter runner. She is the first woman to break 2:00 minutes in the 800 meters and 2:20 in the marathon, showcasing an ...

Ethiopia's Tigst Assefa shattered the women's marathon world record in Berlin on Sunday, lopping off more than two minutes from the previous best to clock an official time of two hours 11 minutes ...

Assefa adds this win to two previous Berlin Marathon titles. Jepkosgei, the 2021 London winner, was almost three minutes back after tiring near the end.

Assefa made up for second-place finishes in London and the Paris Olympics last year by pulling away from Joyciline Jepkosgei near the end to finish in 2 hours, 15 minutes and 50 seconds.