Addis Ababa, September 25, 2022 (FBC) – Tigist Assefa of Ethiopia defied the odds with a shocking victory at the 2022 Berlin Marathon, clocking 2:15:37 to obliterate the course record by almost three minutes. The run is the third-fastest women’s marathon ever, and, most astonishingly, a personal best of nearly 20 minutes.
The 28-year-old was a non-factor in the lead-up discussion to the race, as she had run just one marathon: a 2:34:00 this past March at the Riyadh Marathon in Saudi Arabia.
On Sunday in Berlin, Tigist ran 1:08:13 for the first half with the pack then negative split 1:07:25 on the back end, throwing down 15:53 and 15:46 splits at the 30K and 35K marks to distance the field by nearly three minutes.
“My preparation was very fantastic. I did what I need [sic]. My training was really fantastic… I am really happy today,” Tigist said through a translator after the race.
Tigist has only recently turned to the roads after spending much of her career as an 800-meter runner. She represented Ethiopia at the 2016 Olympic Games in the 800 meters, where she bowed out in the first round with a 2:00.21 performance.