Ethiopia’s Tigst Assefa shattered the women’s marathon world record in Berlin on Sunday, lopping off more than two minutes from the previous best to clock an official time of two hours 11 minutes and 53 seconds.
Assefa, who had set a course record with a personal best last year, set a blistering early pace, gradually shaking off any competition to break Kenyan Brigid Kosgei’s record of two hours 14 minutes and four seconds set in 2019.
Her remarkable victory overshadowed men’s world record holder Eliud Kipchoge’s record fifth victory on Berlin’s quick and flat inner-city course.
