The Berlin Marathon elite list for the race to be held on September 27 is now official. It is led by the man who made history in London by becoming the first to dip under two hours for the 42.195-kilometer distance. The list comprises 67 runners, with Sabastian Sawe as the male star and Tigst Assefa topping the bill for the women’s event.
Sawe, the man who in the English capital stopped the clock at 1:59:30, will defend his title after winning the Berlin Marathon in 2025 with 2:02:16. Among his principal rivals stand out Gabriel Geay and Guye Adola, winner in Berlin in 2021. Notable is the presence of the Tokyo 10,000 meters Olympic champion Barega, who will debut in the marathon by winning in Seville.
In total, 25 runners have a verified time under 2h 08m.
Tigst Assefa leads the women’s list with 2:11:53, a mark she achieved on this same Berlin course in 2023, when it was a world record. Eight women who appear behind her have gone under 2:20, highlighting Rosemary Wanjiru, who returns to defend her Berlin title after winning last year with 2:16:14,