Injured Ethiopian runner Tigst Assefa came close to breaking the women's marathon world record during the Berlin Marathon on Sunday, but ultimately fell short. Assefa completed the race in 2 hours, 11 minutes, and 4 seconds, a time that ranks as the third-fastest in history. The 29-year-old, who earned a silver medal at the Paris Olympics in 2022, had initially looked strong, but her performance slowed in the final stages of the race. The current world record of 2:09:56, set by Kenyan athlete Ruth Chepngetich at the 2024 Chicago Marathon, remains unchallenged. However, Chepngetich recently received a three-year doping ban, which has raised questions about the validity of that record. Assefa, who won the 2026 London Marathon, started the race with a strong pace, leading the field by a minute at the 15km mark. She was ahead of the world record pace by the 35km point and is known for her ability to maintain speed in the final kilometers. However, she began to experience noticeable discomfort, which slowed her down. Despite this, she still managed to break the Berlin course record of 2:11:53 that she set in 2023. This time also marked her personal best, improving on her earlier performance at the London Marathon this year, where she finished in 2:15:41. Race director Mark Milde expressed admiration for Assefa's effort, saying, "We have to bow our heads to this performance. She was on a world record course for most of the race but then something happened to her tendon. To finish like this, I've never seen something like this. The pain is hard to imagine. With a heavy heart, we saw her set a course record, but it could have been a lot more." Milde's comments highlight the incredible determination and physical toll of the race. All of the top five finishers in the women's race were from Ethiopia, with Bedatu Hirpa securing second place and Dera Dida finishing in third. In the men's race, Guye Adola, another Ethiopian athlete, won with a time of 2:02:50. The dominance of Ethiopian runners in both races underscores their continued strength in long-distance running.