Running News Daily

Ethiopian marathon star Tigist Assefa is undergoing emergency surgery in Munich, Germany, after suffering a ruptured right Achilles tendon during the closing stages of the BMW Berlin Marathon, bringing an abrupt end to what had been a remarkable world-record attempt.

The 29-year-old delivered a spectacular performance on Sunday, September 27, 2026, to win the women's race in a stunning 2:11:04, setting a new course record and recording the third-fastest women's marathon time in history.

Assefa had been on course to challenge the women's marathon world record for much of the race before disaster struck in the final two kilometres. Despite the severe injury, the Ethiopian star summoned the strength to push through the pain and cross the finish line in first place, capping a performance that will be remembered for both its extraordinary speed and the circumstances surrounding its conclusion.

Her manager, Gianni Demadonna, confirmed that Assefa had suffered a rupture of her right Achilles tendon, an injury that requires immediate medical attention and a lengthy recovery period.

The emergency operation is being performed by Dr. Johannes Gabel, Chief Physician of Foot and Ankle Surgery at BG Unfallklinik Murnau in Germany, with support from Adidas.

Assefa is expected to spend at least six months away from competitive running as she undergoes surgery and rehabilitation. The recovery process will be crucial in determining when she can return to training and eventually resume competition.

The injury is a significant setback for the Ethiopian athlete, who has established herself among the leading figures in women's marathon running through a series of outstanding performances on the international stage. Her latest triumph in Berlin further underlined her exceptional ability, even as the circumstances surrounding her finish cast a shadow over the achievement.

Assefa's 2:11:04 performance adds another historic chapter to her career, but attention now shifts from the finish line to her recovery. The coming months will be focused on healing, rehabilitation and gradually rebuilding the strength needed to return to elite competition.

From a remarkable record-breaking victory to an unexpected medical emergency, Assefa's Berlin Marathon has become a story of extraordinary determination and an uncertain road ahead. Her supporters will now be hoping for a successful operation and a full recovery as she begins the long journey back to competitive running.

The marathon world is once again bracing itself for something extraordinary after Ethiopian distance sensation Yomif Kejelcha was officially confirmed for the 2026 edition of the Valencia Marathon set for Sunday, December 6 in Spain.

The announcement immediately sent waves across global athletics, with anticipation already building around what could become one of the fastest marathons ever witnessed. Kejelcha returns to familiar territory carrying enormous momentum after his jaw-dropping performance at the 2026 London Marathon, where he stunned the world by clocking an astonishing 1:59:41 in his debut over the classic distance.

That breathtaking run not only rewrote marathon history, but also elevated Kejelcha into a completely new category of greatness. The Ethiopian star became just the second man ever to officially break the two-hour barrier in a record-eligible marathon, a feat once considered beyond human possibility.

Now, all eyes shift toward Valencia — a course widely regarded as one of the quickest marathon circuits on the planet.

For Kejelcha, the Spanish city already holds special significance. It was on these same lightning-fast streets that he produced one of the greatest half marathon performances in history, smashing the world record with a remarkable 57:30 in October 2024. That unforgettable display transformed Valencia into one of the defining venues of his career, and his return there feels less like coincidence and more like destiny.

According to his manager, Gianni Demadonna, the decision to target Valencia followed extensive internal evaluations of Kejelcha’s current condition and long-term marathon potential. Those close to the Ethiopian camp reportedly believe the course offers the perfect environment for another historic performance.

And perhaps even more intriguing is the growing possibility of a world record attempt.

Valencia’s famously flat terrain — featuring minimal elevation changes across the entire course — has become a dream hunting ground for elite marathoners searching for fast times. With Kenyan star Sabastian Sawe expected to focus on Berlin later in the season, Kejelcha could arrive in Spain with a clearer path to dominate the race and fully attack the clock.

The prospect alone is enough to electrify the athletics community.

Kejelcha’s evolution from a dominant track athlete into a devastating road racer has unfolded with breathtaking speed. Already known for his explosive strength over 5,000m and 10,000m, the Ethiopian has now positioned himself as the newest giant of marathon running — a man capable of reshaping the limits of endurance sport.

As December approaches, excitement surrounding Valencia will only intensify. Fans, analysts, and fellow athletes understand the magnitude of what could unfold on the Spanish coast.

Because when Yomif Kejelcha steps onto a fast course, history no longer feels impossible — it feels expected.

Hawi Feysa took the 41st Mainova Frankfurt Marathon with a superb course record: The 25 year-old Ethiopian ran 2:17:25 to improve the former women’s record by 1:45. It was also the 12th fastest performance this year. Second-placed Kenyan Magdalyne Masai ran a big personal best of 2:18:58 and also finished inside the former course record of 2:19:10. Ethiopia’s Shuko Genemo was third with 2:22:37.

The men’s race had its surprise as well: the 22 year-old Kenyan debutant Benard Biwott triumphed to cross the line in 2:05:54 in Frankfurt’s Festhalle. The Ethiopians Gossa Challa and Lencho Tesfaye took second and third with 2:07:35 and 2:08:02 respectively. The combined winning times of the women’s and men’s champions came to 4:23:19, the fastest aggregate time ever in the history of the Mainova Frankfurt Marathon. Organisers registered 13,939 runners from 113 nations. Adding events at shorter distances, the total was 25,616 athletes.

“To have such as fantastic course record is so satisfying for all of us involved. You can prepare a great deal in elite sport but nothing is guaranteed. We had ideal conditions, many personal bests and many wonderful scenes of celebration at the finish,” said the Race Director Jo Schindler. The Elite Race Coordinator Philipp Kopp added his thoughts: “Once again we’ve shown that you can run fast in Frankfurt.” The Mainova Frankfurt Marathon had 13,939 runners from 113 countries and, taking into consideration events held in conjunction, had in total 25,616 participants.

Women’s Race: Feysa’s breakthrough, Schwiening fastest European

Hawi Feysa achieved a sensational breakthrough in the marathon by running 2:17:25. The Ethiopian had shown highly creditable performances at shorter distances and finished sixth in the World Cross Country Championships in 2023. Winning the marathon in a course record took her to a new level. “The record was my goal and everything went perfectly. After 25 kilometres I had enough energy left to run away from the group. I was very happy with my race plan. The atmosphere along the course helped me a lot. You can certainly run 2;16 on this fast course,” Hawi Feysa reflected.

Right from the start the fastest runners set out to make a concerted attack on the course record of 2:19:10. Although no runner had a personal best faster than 2:21:17, the pace was consistently aimed at breaking the record. “I wanted originally to run at my own pace alone at the head of the field. But the organizers planned that we ran together as a group until 25 kilometres. The tactic proved very good,” said Feysa, in praise of sporting director Philipp Kopp.

Five women went through halfway in 69:19, among them Hawi Feysa and the two sisters, Magdalyne and Linet Masai from Kenya. When Feysa increased the pace after 25 kilometres, only Magdalyne Masai followed her. Until just before 40 km, Masai was still in contention with the gap a few seconds. But Hawi Feysa proved unbeatable and ran a clearly faster second half of the race to finish in triumph in the Festhalle. Magdalyne Masai was a highly creditable second in 2:18:58.

While it was the first time that two women ran below 2:20 in Frankfurt a large number of elite runners achieved personal bests: Four women from the top 5 and six from the top 10 ran PBs. British runners achieved a string of great results in Frankfurt: Georgina Schwiening was the fastest European with a strong PB of 2:25:46 in eleventh place. A staggering number of seven British women finished inside the top 25 in the „Festhalle“.

Men’s Race: A day for the debutants

The men’s elite field, featuring talent spread evenly throughout, set off at a pace which made the target finishing time of under 2:05 a real possibility. Split times of 29:38 for 10km and 44:30 at 15km pointed to a time in the region of just under 2:05. Subsequently the pace dropped somewhat, despite the excellent weather conditions with temperatures between 12 and 15 degrees, overcast and almost no win. But with a number of kilometre splits around 3 minutes, halfway was reached in 62:52. For much of the time, the 13-strong leading group then stayed compact and there was little change.

The first serious attack came only after 30 km but it proved decisive: Bernard Biwott went to the front and only Gossa Challa proved capable of going with the marathon debutant. But when the Kenyan forced the pace again between 35 and 37 kilometres and covered the single kilometres in around 2:50, the Ethiopian had no reply. Biwott, who previously had shown highly promising form at half marathon, achieving a best of 59:44, won with over a minute and a half to spare. “I’m so happy because I didn’t expect that I could win on my debut. I want to thank the organizers and my manager Gianni Demadonna for their support,” said Bernard Biwott who had achieved a rare win here on debut. The last occasion in the men’s race in Frankfurt was in 2008 when a fellow Kenyan, Robert Cheruiyot, won in what was then a course record of 2:07:21.

To add to the surprises, a marathon debutant was also the fastest runner from Germany in the Mainova Frankfurt Marathon. Jan Lukas Becker finished 17th in 2:15:20 and had been on course for a finishing time of under 2:11 for much of the race. 

Results, Men:

1. Benard Biwott KEN 2:05:54

2. Gossa Challe ETH 2:07:35

3. Lencho Tesfaye ETH 2:08:02

4. Gerba Dibaba ETH 2:09:03

5. Aychew Dessie ETH 2:09:22

6. Workneh Serbessa ETH 2:09:30

7. Christopher Muthini KEN 2:09:31

8. Ebba Chala  SWE 2:09:35

9. Tim Vincent AUS 2:09:40

10. Mulat Gebeyehu ETH 2:10:07

Women:

1. Hawi Feysa ETH 2:17:25

2. Magdalyne Masai KEN 2:18:58

3. Shuko Genemo ETH 2:22:37

4. Catherine Cherotich KEN 2:22:42

5. Agnes Keino KEN 2:22:53

6. Kidsan Alema ETH 2:23:27

7. Linet Masai KEN 2:23:52

8. Judith Kiyeng KEN 2:24:41

9. Betty Chepkwony KEN 2:25:13

10. Aberash Korsa ETH 2:25:43

Dorcas Jepchirchir Tuitoek will be seeking another title in the Roma Ostia Half Marathon set for this Sunday in Rome, Italy.

Tuitoek has a personal best of 66:33, which she set at the 2019 Istanbul Half Marathon while finishing second.

The Atlanta Half Marathon champion is confident of a  podium finish as she seeks to lower her time in the Italian city.

“I am looking beyond this event because I want to use it as a springboard to one of the marathon major races later this year,” she said.

Tuitoek, who also won the Atlanta Half Marathon in 68:22, is optimistic of lowering her time as she prepares to venture into the full marathon," he added.

She said she is currently undergoing intensive training under Gianni Demadonna in Kapsabet and hopes to head to Rome with much fitness.

This will be her first race of the year on the road after competing in cross-country meetings across the country.

"I competed at the national cross country championships in Ruiru and I finished in position 12, which was good for me," she said.

In Rome, Tuitoek will be up against home girl Giovanna Epis among other top athletes.

The men's field will feature Kenya's Wesley Kibichii who has a personal best of 59:57 and Isaac Kemboi (60:11) among others.

However, the line-up includes top runners like Ethiopian Mogos Tuemay (60:11) and Italian citizen Danielle D’Onofrio (62:32). 

Three years ago, and prior to giving birth to a baby boy, Tirfi Tsegaye was ranked amongst the world’s greatest marathoners with some incredible performances. Now, after gradually returning to training, the Ethiopian Olympic runner makes her first start at the Scotiabank Ottawa Marathon, May 26th since the arrival of young Tilember Miresa.

Tsegaye, 34, ran the world-leading time of 2:19:41 in January 2016 in Dubai – her personal best time – then three months later finished 2nd in the Boston Marathon. At the Rio Olympics, she missed the podium by 17 seconds finishing 4th in 2:24:47. It was quite a year, indeed.

As if these credentials aren’t impressive enough, consider she also won the both the Tokyo and Berlin Marathons in 2014 and finished 3rd in London. Few athletes have made the podium in one World Marathon Major let alone four.

“Training is going good,” Tsegaye says from her home in Addis Ababa. “But, I’m not like how I was before. It’s been a little different for me coming back but still training. I’ve missed it a lot. I’ve even missed the training more than the actual competitions. I’m pretty excited about the Ottawa marathon.”

Under coach Gemedu Dedefo she has slowly regained her form and counts such stalwarts as Shure Demise, a two-time Toronto winner, and Alia Mohammed, 2018 Ottawa 10k champion amongst her training partners.

During her maternity leave, she split with her husband and is combining motherhood and marathon training, which would cause concern but for the fact she is such a disciplined and highly experienced athlete.

“It’s tough but I manage,” she admits. “I have a nanny and she helps me out with the baby and other errands. When I come back from training I get exhausted, so, it’s really nice to have some help around the house.

“Pregnancy takes a lot from you and the time I had off was really therapeutic. I feel like I’ve recovered enough for now.”

Tirfi grew up in the town of Bekoji, 220 kilometres south of the Ethiopian capital of Addis Ababa. Bekoji was immortalized in a documentary “Town of Runners” as an unusually large number of Olympic champions have ‘graduated’ from the training of local coach Sentayehu Eshetu. These include Kenenisa Bekele, Tirunesh Dibaba and Derartu Tulu.

“Growing up in Bekoji was an inspiration in itself,” she admits. “Tulu was a major inspiration for me since we were one of the same. My coach was Sentayehu Eshetu at the time when I was in Bekoji. I moved to Addis in 2008.”

“Yeah, Derartu, Haile (Gebrselassie), Kenenisa and others have inspired me to try and push myself and be my best. I fell in love with their work and dedication when I saw them on television.”

As her impressive curriculum vitae suggests, Tirfi places high expectations upon herself even for this comeback race. Although predicting marathon performances is a difficult proposition at the best of times, it is unlikely she, or coach Gemedu, would confirm her entry unless she was going to be ready. Still, there is that element of the unknown.

Her Italian manager, Gianni DeMadonna, has made her aware that the course record of 2:22:17 was set by her compatriot Gelete Burka last year but for the moment that is secondary to having a successful return.  Victory would bring her $30,000 CDN and the course record is worth an additional $10,000 CDN. That is also a significant factor.

“Ottawa is a big deal for me now because I need to get back to my winning form,” she stresses. “I have big expectations for Ottawa and I will try and do my level best.

“I figure it’s going to be a little hard for me to beat the record set by Gelete last year. But, I think if I try my best I believe that it is beatable. I’m not familiar with the course or the climate. And I have not yet talked with any other athletes about the Ottawa race. But, soon I hope.”

Should she cross the finish line first she would be the tenth consecutive Ethiopian woman to emerge triumphant in this IAAF Gold Label race. There are, without a doubt, plenty of resources then for her to approach when it comes time to seeking advice on how to run the Ottawa course.