Tigst Assefa Chases World Record | Berlin Marathon 2026 Live Updates and Results

· Yahoo Sports

The 2026 BMW Berlin Marathon often promises fast racing conditions. The 2025 rendition saw World Record Holder Sabastian Sawe run 2:02:16, while Rosemary Wanjiru claimed victory in the women's race with her 2:21:05.

Visit een-wit.pl for more information.

At the 2026 Berlin Marathon, Tigst Asefa will go after the Women's World Record.

Audiences in USA, Canada, UK, Ireland, New Zealand, and Australia can watch the 2026 BMW Berlin Marathon LIVE on FloTrack on Sunday, September 27th at 2:30 AM ET.

3:15a ET - The Men's Lead Pack is Made up of 10 Runners,10km Done
Gabriel Geay and Erick Sang have now covered the first 10km in 28:58, with Andamlak Belihu, Asefa Boki, Gemechu Diriba, Guye Adola right there too in 28:59. Shura Kitata, Selemon Barega, Getaneh Molla and Taresa Tolosa followed in 29:00. 

3:02a ET - The First 5km and Here are the Numbers

It is still very early stages, but Tigst Assefa has gone through the first 5km in 15:30. This takes us to a rough projected finish time of 2:10:45.

The men's leaders over 5km include Selemon Barega, Asefa Boki and Erick Sang coming through in 14:29. For the women Assefa is already creating a gap. Rosemary Wanjiru follows in 15:55 and Pascaline Jelagat in 16:08.

2:53a ET - The First Splits Are In

The first few splits are in! For the men 2:52 over the first kilometre, totalling 5:47 through 2km! As for the women 3:03 for the first, then slowing to to 3:09 for the second. 

2:45a ET - The Elite Runners Are Off!
Here we go.The 2026 BMW Berlin Marathon is taking over the streets of the German capital. The elite men and women share the same start and in front of them, one of the fastest marathon courses in the world. 

Tigst Assefa headlines the women's field. She lines up on the course where she set what was the outright women's marathon world record in 2023 (2:11:53) - she still holds the Berlin course record and the women's only marathon world record of 2:15:41 from London this past April. She enters as the clear favourite.

Behind her: 2025 Berlin champion Rosemary Wanjiru, Bedatu Hirpu, Dera Dida, Zeineba Yimer, Bosena Mulatie, the list goes on. Esther Pfeiffer is targeting the German women's national record. Fourteen women in the field have run 2:25 or faster. 

As for the men, Gabriel Geay heads the men's field with a 34-second gap on the next-fastest entrant. Getaneh Molla (runner-up from Seoul in April), Guye Adola (2:03:54 in Amsterdam earlier this year), Shura Kitata, Dejene Hailu and 2020 Olympic 10,000m champion Selemon Barega round out the front

Eliud Kipchoge's course record of 2:01:09 has stood for four years. This field is built to threaten it. 

2026 BMW Berlin Marathon Men's Entries

  • Gabriel Geay - Tanzania - 2:03:00
  • Getaneh Molla - Ethiopia - 2:03:34
  • Guye Adola - Ethiopia - 2:03:46
  • Shura Kitata - Ethiopia - 2:03:59
  • Dejene Hailu - Ethiopia - 2:04:15
  • Erick Sang - Kenya - 2:04:30
  • Selemon Barega - Ethiopia - 2:05:00
  • Taresa Tolosa - Ethiopia - 2:05:17
  • Tadu Abate - Ethiopia - 2:05:38
  • Asefa Boki - Ethiopia - 2:05:40
  • Kenya Sonota - Japan - 2:05:59
  • Tsubasa Ichiyama - Japan - 2:06:00
  • Kiyoto Hirabayashi - Japan - 2:06:14
  • Yuhei Urano - Japan - 2:06:23
  • Hidekazu Hijikata - Japan - 2:06:26
  • Yusuke Nishiyama - Japan - 2:06:31
  • Naoki Koyama - Japan - 2:06:33
  • Andamlak Belihu - Ethiopia - 2:06:40
  • Kazuya Nishiyama - Japan - 2:06:45
  • Daisuke Uekado - Japan - 2:06:54
  • Jie He - China - 2:06:57
  • Sebastian Hendel - Germany - 2:07:33
  • Shin Kimura - Japan - 2:07:34
  • Richard Yator - Kenya - 2:07:36
  • Ken Nakayama - Japan - 2:07:39
  • Shunsuke Shikama - Japan - 2:07:44
  • Shoma Hosoya - Japan - 2:07:48
  • Yuto Imae - Japan - 2:07:56
  • Wu Xiangdong - China - 2:08:04
  • Guojian Dong - China - 2:08:12
  • Haftom Welday - Germany - 2:08:13
  • Emanuel Dinday - Tanzania - 2:08:18
  • Laban Kiplimo - Kenya - 2:08:23
  • Aoi Ota - Japan - 2:08:31
  • Aaron Bienenfeld - Germany - 2:08:47
  • Felix Kurui - Kenya - 2:09:13
  • Tendai Zimuto - Zimbabwe - 2:09:30
  • Joseph Panga - Tanzania - 2:09:35
  • Paulo Paula - Brazil - 2:09:51
  • Jake Smith - Great Britain - 2:11:00
  • Tom Hendrikse - Netherlands - 2:11:07
  • Will Nation - USA - 2:11:14
  • Jiahao Wang - China - 2:11:17
  • Charlie Sweeney - USA - 2:11:28
  • Yohan Zaradzki - Belgium - 2:12:28
  • Lars Dewall - USA - 2:12:30
  • Zhangxing Yang - China - 2:12:36
  • Alexandru Corneschi - Romania - 2:12:39
  • Florian Von Muschwitz - Germany - 2:15:03
  • Jakob Lange - Germany - 2:16:43
  • David Gärtlein - Germany - 2:18:01
  • Julian Großkopf - Germany - 2:18:17

2026 BMW Berlin Marathon Women's Entries

  • Tigst Assefa - Ethiopia - 2:11:53
  • Rosemary Wanjiru - Kenya - 2:16:14
  • Bedatu Hirpa - Ethiopia - 2:18:27
  • Dera Dida - Ethiopia - 2:18:32
  • Zeineba Yimer - Ethiopia - 2:18:47
  • Bosena Mulatie - Ethiopia - 2:19:00
  • Misgane Alemayehu - Ethiopia - 2:19:08
  • Bekelech Gudeta - Ethiopia - 2:19:39
  • Evaline Chirchir - Kenya - 2:20:33
  • Deshun Zhang - China - 2:20:53
  • Gadise Mulu - Ethiopia - 2:20:59
  • Eebbisee Addunyaa - Ethiopia - 2:21:13
  • Aminet Ahmed - Ethiopia - 2:21:24
  • Rika Kaseda - Japan - 2:21:55
  • Mao Uesugi - Japan - 2:22:11
  • Pascaline Jelagat - Kenya - 2:22:44
  • Manon Trapp - France - 2:23:38
  • Natsuki Omori - Japan - 2:23:45
  • Fatima Gardadi - Morocco - 2:24:06
  • Jacqueline Gaughan - USA - 2:24:40
  • Rino Goshima - Japan - 2:24:44
  • Kodi Kleven - USA - 2:24:48
  • Margaux Sieracki - France - 2:25:50
  • Fadouwa Ledhem - France - 2:25:50
  • Lucy Reid - Great Britain - 2:26:37
  • Ayumi Morita - Japan - 2:26:48
  • Mary Munanu - Kenya - 2:26:59
  • Kristina Hendel - Germany - 2:27:29
  • Annie Bothma - South Africa - 2:27:45
  • Allie Kieffer - USA - 2:28:12
  • Maya Weigel - USA - 2:28:45
  • Rebecca Schmitt - USA - 2:28:47
  • Katja Goldring - USA - 2:29:01
  • Tessa Barrett - USA - 2:30:11
  • Annie Heffernan - USA - 2:30:26
  • Jana Soethout - Germany - 2:31:09
  • Rutendo Nyahora - Zimbabwe - 2:32:00
  • Anna Langerwisch - Germany - 2:32:13
  • Monica Hebner - USA - 2:32:40
  • Thea Heim - Germany - 2:33:25
  • Cara Zollenkopf - Germany - 2:36:05
  • Esther Pfeiffer - Germany - 2:37:00
  • Alemaddis Eyayu - Ethiopia - Debut
  • Ludwina Chepngetich - Kenya - Debut
  • Sisilia Panga - Tanzania - Debut

When Is The 2026 BMW Berlin Marathon?

The 2026 BMW Berlin Marathon takes place on Sunday, Sept. 27. For viewers in the United States, the race starts at 2:30 a.m. ET. In Berlin, the starting gun goes off at 8:30 a.m. local time.

Here's How To Watch The 2026 BMW Berlin Marathon In Berlin, Germany

FloTrack will provide live coverage of the 2026 BMW Berlin Marathon, bringing the action from the streets of Berlin, Germany, to viewers at home. Subscribe here to catch all of the action.

Coverage begins at 2:30 a.m. ET on Sunday, September 27.

FloTrack Archived Footage

Video footage from each event will be archived and stored in a video library for FloTrack subscribers to watch for the duration of their subscriptions.

Join The Track & Field Conversation On Social

Read full story at source