Tigst Assefa wins Berlin Marathon with ruptured Achilles
Ethiopian marathoner Tigst Assefa won the Berlin Marathon in a course record 2:11:04, the third-fastest women's time ever, despite suffering a complete
Tigst Assefa secured her third consecutive Berlin Marathon title with a course record time of 2 hours, 11 minutes, and 4 seconds. The 29-year-old Ethiopian star achieved this, the third-fastest women's marathon performance in history, while running on a completely ruptured right Achilles tendon.
Assefa's manager, Gianni Demadonna, confirmed the severe injury. Pain began in her right foot around the 31-kilometre mark. She maintained a world-record pace until approximately the 35th kilometre before slowing. The pain intensified dramatically over the final stages. "The tendon was completely gone the last two kilometres," Demadonna said. Assefa crossed the finish line limping and then collapsed, requiring immediate medical assistance. Her time of 2:11:04 broke her own Berlin course record and placed her just over a minute outside the world record.
Immediate surgery and recovery outlook
Assefa was flown directly to Munich for surgery on her right Achilles tendon the Monday after the race. Demadonna confirmed the diagnosis was a complete rupture sustained during the marathon's closing stages. The runner is being cared for at a facility specializing in sports and tendon injuries.
Her recovery is expected to take at least seven months. Demadonna reported that Assefa is doing well post-surgery but is unhappy about the injury and losing the world record so close to the end of the race. "It’s enough that she finished the race, amazing. With a tendon like that, I don’t know how she could finish," he added. The manager stated it is necessary to wait for the surgical results but expects her to miss approximately seven months of competition.
Context and legacy
Assefa's dramatic finish evoked memories of another Ethiopian great, Haile Gebrselassie. The two-time Olympic 10,000m champion and former marathon world-record holder helped Assefa to her feet after her collapse. Gebrselassie himself underwent surgery for a serious Achilles tendon injury five weeks before the 2004 Athens Olympics, after which he moved to road racing.
This was not Assefa's first encounter with an Achilles issue. A similar injury in 2016 prompted her own shift from track events to the marathon. In Berlin, she was targeting the world record of 2:09:56, set by Kenya's Ruth Chepngetich at the 2024 Chicago Marathon. Chepngetich is currently serving a three-year doping ban following a positive test in 2025, though her Chicago result stands.
Assefa is expected to miss around seven months, with a return likely targeted for the defence of her Berlin title at the London Marathon in April 2027.
