RunnersWeb Athletics Record races at BMW BERLIN-MARATHON 2022

Eliud Kipchoge with world record
Tigist Assefa runs course record
Wheelchair winners: Hug and Debrunner
Fastest handbikers: Möller and Fritsch

Eliud Kipchoge crowned the 48th edition of the BMW BERLIN-MARATHON with a world record of 2:01:09 hours. The 37-year-old Kenyan thus improved his own best time, which he had run in Berlin 2018, by exactly half a minute. Eliud Kipchoge was at times even on course for a dream time of under 2:00:00 hours, but was unable to maintain this fabulous pace. "I am overjoyed to have broken the world record in Berlin. I wanted to run the first half so fast," said Eliud Kipchoge, who set the twelfth world record in event history in Berlin. No other marathon in the world has seen more world records set.

Eliud Kipchoge wins with world record the BMW BERLIN-MARATHON - Photo credit: SCC EVENTS/camera4_Tilo Wiedensohler

Mark Korir and Tadu Abate

Eliud Kipchoge's compatriot Mark Korir finished second in 2:05:58, with Ethiopia's Tadu Abate third in 2:06:28. A strong eleventh place was achieved by Haftom Weldaj (Hamburg LL), who improved to 2:09:06 to become the sixth fastest German runner ever. He also set a German best time for the year. Johannes Motschmann of MARATHON TEAM BERLIN ran a solid 2:14:02 just a few weeks after the European Championships to finish 14th.

Tigist Assefa clocks course record

Tigist Assefa wins with course record at the BMW BERLIN-MARATHON -Photo credit: SCC EVENTS/camera4_Tilo Wiedensohler

A sensational course record was set by Tigist Assefa. Starting as an outsider with a personal best of 2:34:01 before, the Ethiopian ran the race of her life in excellent weather conditions and won in 2:15:37 hours. The 26-year-old thus achieved the third-fastest time ever run, an Ethiopian national record and a world best time for the year. The previous course record had been set by Gladys Cherono of Kenya in 2018 with 2:18:11. Right off the bat, Rosemary Wanjiru ran a world-class time. The Kenyan ran 2:18:00, the second-fastest debut ever. Third was Ethiopia's Tigist Abayechew, who finished in 2:18:03. With these two results, the runners sort themselves out in the list of the fastest athletes of all time in 15th and 16th place. With the fourth-placed Worknesh Edesa (Ethiopia), who finished after 2:18:51, another athlete ran under 2:20 hours. Only once, in Tokyo this year, has there been a marathon race in which four runners achieved times under 2:19 hours. In the absence of the top German runners, Florentine Beese (Hannover Athletics) was the fastest national runner in 55th place with 2:46:41.

Marcel Hug with third victory

Third victory in a row for the Swiss Marcel Hug in the racing wheelchair at the BMW BERLIN-MARATHON. The women's race was also won by Catherine Debrunner from Switzerland. Katrin Möller and Joseph Fritsch are the winners with the handbike. The marathon day also held particularly emotional moments for Heinz Frei, 20-time winner in the racing wheelchair, and the Berlin course record holder and 6-time winner in the handbike, Vico Merklein: They are both immortalized with their likenesses on the medals of the Rollies and handbikers.

"In the first kilometers we ran a very tactical race. At kilometer nine, I decided to take the lead for good. At the end I just concentrated on myself and kept the pace really high," Marcel Hug summarized his race. With his time of 1:24:56 hours he had a lead of almost four minutes over Daniel Romanchuk (USA/1:28:54 h) as well as David Weir (1:29:02 h) from Great Britain at the finish. David Weir highlighted the Berlin course: "I am used to the London course, so the race today was pleasantly flat and fast to run," said the eight-time winner of the London Marathon.

Successful marathon debut for Catherine Debrunner

In the women's race, Catherine Debrunner from Switzerland celebrated an extremely successful marathon debut on the road: she won in 1:36:47 hours ahead of Manuela Schär (1:36:50 h), also from Switzerland, who has been unbeaten in Berlin since 2016. As the third athlete in the racing wheelchair, Susannah Scaroni (USA) crossed the finish line close behind in 1:36:51 h. "It was an incredibly great day for me, competing on the road is something completely different than on the track. You have to be much more attentive," Debrunner said at the finish line.

Joseph Fritsch unchallenged in front

Among the hand cyclists, Frenchman Joseph Fritsch was able to pull away from the field after just a few kilometers. He crossed the finish line in 1:04:32 hours in first place. The chasing pack delivered an exciting sprint to the finish. Vico Merklein from Berlin (1:09:30 h) was able to secure second place by a razor-thin margin ahead of Johannes Herter (GER/1:09:30 h). Marathon legend Heinz Frei from Switzerland narrowly missed out on a podium place: he finished in fourth place in 1:09:31 hours. The 64-year-old athlete has achieved his 20 victories at the BMW BERLIN-MARATHON with a racing wheelchair, and for several years he has been increasingly active as a hand cyclist. "It is an incredible honor and appreciation that I receive here in Berlin," Frei emphasized in reference to the medal with his likeness. "I have a suitcase here in Berlin and I always enjoy coming back. I am just very happy and grateful for what life gives me," Frei said.

In the women's race, the winner is Katrin Möller. In 1:20:59 hours, the German rider was able to clearly distance herself from last year's winner Yvonne Pijahn (GER/1:24:17 h) as well as Annett Zenker-Urban (GER/1:24:21 h).