Two hours, eleven minutes, and fifty-three seconds is the time Tigst Assefa recorded at the 2023 Berlin Marathon, shattering the existing world record by more than two minutes. This performance marked her as the first woman to finish a marathon in under 2:14, 2:13, and 2:12, establishing a new global standard for the discipline.
Early Career in Middle-Distance
Born on 3 December 1996 in Holeta Genet, Ethiopia, Assefa began her athletic career as a specialist in the 400 and 800 metres. At age 12, she secured a bronze medal in the 400 metres at the 2009 senior Ethiopian Athletics Championships. By 2013, she claimed bronze at the African Junior Championships in Mauritius and represented Ethiopia at the 2016 Rio Olympic Games.
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Following her participation in the 2016 World Indoor Championships and the Rio Olympics, she moved away from track events. After a hiatus, she debuted in the half marathon in Valencia in 2019. In 2022, she began her transition to the marathon distance, starting with a seventh-place finish at the Riyadh Marathon.
Marathon Dominance and Records
The 2022 Berlin Marathon served as her breakout performance, where she recorded the third-fastest time in history. She followed this in 2023 by setting a world record in Berlin, aided by pacemaker Girmay Birhanu Gebru. In 2025, she claimed victory at the London Marathon, where she set a new world record for a women-only marathon.
2024 Olympic Competition
At the 2024 Olympic marathon, Assefa finished with a silver medal in 2:22:58, trailing Sifan Hassan by three seconds. The race concluded with a collision between the two runners as they sprinted toward the finish. An Ethiopian protest regarding the incident was subsequently rejected by the Jury of Appeal.
Fast facts
- Born: 3 December 1996, Holeta Genet, Ethiopia
- Primary Sport: Athletics
- 2023 Berlin Marathon Time: 2:11:53
- 2024 Olympic Medal: Silver
- First marathon: 2022
Questions readers ask
What is Tigst Assefa's significance in marathon history?
She is the first woman to break the 2:14, 2:13, and 2:12 barriers in a marathon.
Did Tigst Assefa win the 2024 Olympic marathon?
No, she finished second, three seconds behind Sifan Hassan.
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