Ethiopian runner Tigst Assefa set a new women’s world record at the BMW Berlin Marathon on Sunday, outstripping the previous best marathon time by a woman by more than two minutes.
Assefa, 26, crossed the finish line at the Brandenburg Gate, Berlin, Germany with a time of 2:11:53. This is a massive lowering of the world record by almost 2 per cent.
The previous world record had been held by Brigid Kosgei, who completed a 2019 marathon in Chicago .
She is a former 800-metre specialist who switched to road running in 2018.
After her marathon debut in April 2022, Assefa improved by over 18 minutes and set the third-fastest time on the world all-time list at the 2022 Berlin Marathon, before breaking the all time female marathon record by more than two minutes at the same event in 2023.[3][4][5]
WORLD RECORD
🇪🇹’s Tigst Assefa obliterates the women’s marathon world record* in Berlin 🤯
*Subject to the usual ratification procedures pic.twitter.com/RIAr17ByTN
— World Athletics (@WorldAthletics) September 24, 2023
Assefa said in quotes provided by the marathon.
“As for being now a favourite for the Olympic Marathon next year, it is up to the National Committee to select me for the team,” she added.
Assefa also won last year’s Berlin marathon
The women’s 100 meter record has been held by Florence Griffith Joyner since 1988, now 35 years ago. One wonders if Assefa’s record will stand as long.
Source: Olympics.com
