Guye Adola wins Berlin Marathon with PR as Ethiopia sweeps
Ethiopia's Guye Adola won the Berlin Marathon in a personal best 2:02:50, leading an Ethiopian sweep of the top three men's positions on September 27.
Guye Adola won the Berlin Marathon in a personal best time of 2:02:50. The 35-year-old Ethiopian led a dominant national performance, securing his second Berlin title as his countrymen swept the men's podium. Gemechu Dida finished second in 2:03:19, with Tanzania's Gabriel Gerald Geay taking third in 2:03:59.
Ethiopian athletes occupied seven of the top eight positions. Getaneh Molla finished fourth in 2:04:55. Selemon Barega, the Tokyo Olympic 10,000m champion, set a personal best of 2:04:58 for fifth. Japan's Yuhei Urano was the leading non-African finisher, placing ninth in a personal best 2:06:09. Germany's Haftom Welday finished 16th in 2:08:25. Every runner in the top 24 broke the 2:10 barrier.
| Position | Name | Country | Time | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Guye Adola | Ethiopia | 2:02:50 | Personal Record |
| 2 | Gemechu Dida | 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 | Personal Best |
Adola's race strategy and conditions
Guye Adola's victory came despite challenging wind conditions. "My biggest problem in the beginning was with the wind," Adola said. His initial plan was to run with pacemakers to establish position. He adjusted by moving to the front when he noticed others slowing.
Adola made a decisive surge at the 34-kilometer mark, running a 2:51 kilometer. Only a pacemaker could follow. Without a pacer and exposed to the wind, his pace later slowed to over three minutes per kilometer. He admitted the wind remained a problem with five kilometers left. Adola finished strong with a final 2:50 kilometer to hit his personal record time.
Historical context and Adola's career
This marks Adola's second Berlin Marathon title, having first won in 2021 with a time of 2:05:45. He debuted on the Berlin course in 2017, finishing second in 2:03:46 behind Eliud Kipchoge. The new personal best comes after nine years and builds on his win at the Rotterdam Marathon in April, where he ran 2:03:54.
Ethiopian dominance
Ethiopia's strength in depth was on full display. The men's race saw Ethiopian athletes claim seven of the top eight spots. This dominance was mirrored in the women's race, where Ethiopian runners swept the top five places. Tigst Assefa won the women's event in 2:11:04, the third-fastest time in history. She improved her personal best and the course record, having been on pace to challenge the world record deep into the race.
Adola, who runs under coach Gemedu Dedefo, credited his team for the success. Guye Adola said: "The most important thing about winning in Berlin the second time is to honor my team. For our team Berlin is the most important thing." He stated that team and training morale is good.
