Ethiopia celebrated a double triumph at the Berlin Marathon on Sunday, with Milkesa Mengesha and Tigist Ketema securing victories in the men’s and women’s races, respectively. The event, one of the most prestigious on the marathon circuit, saw the Ethiopians outpace a competitive field to extend their country’s legacy of long-distance excellence.
Mengesha, 24, delivered a personal best performance, clocking in at 2 hours, 3 minutes, and 17 seconds. In a tightly contested race, Mengesha edged past Kenya’s Cyrbian Kotut by just five seconds, with fellow Ethiopian Haymanot Alew finishing third. The final kilometer turned into a dramatic showdown between Mengesha and Kotut, but a late surge carried the Ethiopian to victory.
“I’ve trained hard for this course, knowing it’s flat and fast,” Mengesha said through a translator after the race. Reflecting on his recent setback at the London Marathon, where he withdrew at the 38-kilometer mark, Mengesha admitted to concerns leading up to Berlin. “I was very worried after London, but today everything came together.”
Ethiopia’s Tadese Takele, considered a pre-race favorite with five-time champion Eliud Kipchoge absent, finished seventh, a surprising result given his strong lead-up to the race.
In the women’s race, Ketema, 26, led an all-Ethiopian podium with a commanding time of 2:16:42, finishing over two minutes ahead of her compatriots Mestawot Fikir and Bosena Mulatie. Ketema’s performance was the third-fastest in the event’s history, though it fell short of the 2022 world record set by Tigst Assefa at 2:11:53.
“I am incredibly grateful to be here in Berlin,” Ketema said after the race. “With the help of God, I was able to win today, and I couldn’t be happier.”
Though several high-profile athletes were absent, with the marathon coming just weeks after the Paris Olympics, the Berlin Marathon once again showcased the depth of talent in Ethiopian long-distance running. The victories of Mengesha and Ketema add to the country’s growing legacy in the sport, underscoring its dominance on the world stage.
