BMW BERLIN-MARATHON ON 27 SEPTEMBER:
Tigst Assefa returns to Berlin to attack the world record
Ethiopia’s Olympic silver medallist Tigst Assefa will return to the BMW BERLIN-MARATHON on 27th September, trying to regain the world record. While defending champion Rosemary Wanjiru of Kenya intends to defend her title in the German capital, Amane Beriso, another world-class runner from Ethiopia, has also committed to the BMW BERLIN-MARATHON. Organisers of Germany’s biggest and most spectacular marathon race earlier announced that marathon superstar Sebastian Sawe will return to Berlin. The Kenyan smashed the world record in London this April with 1:59:30, becoming the first athlete to break the two-hour barrier in a record-eligible race.
“The BMW BERLIN-MARATHON promises once again to become an event of the highest calibre. Around 60,000 runners from 160 nations reflect the event’s enormous international appeal. We are particularly delighted with the strong women’s elite field. Athletes like Tigst Assefa, Amane Beriso and defending champion Rosemary Wanjiru promise a thrilling race. Berlin remains a stage for records, emotions and extraordinary achievements,“ said Race Director Mark Milde. He also confirmed that Germany’s Esther Pfeiffer will run her first serious race at the classic distance on 27th September. “Esther has made a thrilling development recently and could continue this in the marathon.“
Former middle-distance runner Tigst Assefa has already won the BMW BERLIN-MARATHON twice, producing sensational times on both occasions: In 2022 the Ethiopian improved her personal best by almost 20 minutes to 2:15:37. A year later she broke the world record, reaching new dimensions with a time of 2:11:53. The 29 year-old Olympic marathon silver medallist from Paris 2024, who also won silver at the 2025 World Championships, is the current world record holder for women-only races (without male pacemakers). Tigst Assefa first broke the record in London in 2025 with 2:15:50 and then improved the mark to 2:15:41 this spring during her successful title defence in London. Returning to Berlin, she targets the main world record of 2:09:56.
“It’s with immense pleasure that three years after my world record in 2023, I will be running again on the streets of Berlin and trying again to break the world record. I thank the organisers for inviting me one more time and everyone involved for their support during the marathon days, and I hope to see many spectators cheering me on,“ said Tigst Assefa.
Amane Beriso is another world-class runner from Ethiopia and a training partner of Tigst Assefa in Addis Ababa. The 34-year-old caused an upset at the 2022 Valencia Marathon when she was on course for a world record for much of the race, then finished in 2:14:58, the third-fastest time at the time. Following this victory, she also took the World Championships’ marathon in Budapest in hot conditions in the summer of 2023. After struggling with injuries, Amane Beriso now intends to bounce back in Berlin.
Defending champion Rosemary Wanjiru returns to the BMW BERLIN-MARATHON. The 31-year-old Kenyan ran a brilliant debut here in 2022, when she finished runner-up in a strong 2:18:00. Six months later, Wanjiru won the Tokyo Marathon. In 2025, she returned to the BMW BERLIN-MARATHON and won with 2:21:05 despite being extremely exhausted in unusually warm conditions. The Kenyan will certainly attempt to improve her personal best of 2:16:14 on the fast Berlin course.
Esther Pfeiffer has the potential to move into the top five women of the German all-time list in what will be her first serious marathon race. Three years ago, she won her debut in Cologne virtually unchallenged in 2:37:00. The 28-year-old has not run the 42.195 k distance since then. But she has developed strongly at shorter distances. The wife of top German marathon runner Hendrik Pfeiffer ran a 67:25 PB at the GENERALI BERLIN HALF MARATHON earlier this year.
More information is available online at: www.berlin-marathon.com
