Ethiopian runner Tigst Assefa won the Berlin Marathon on Sunday despite suffering an injury that prevented her from breaking the women's world record. She finished in two hours 11 minutes and four seconds, the third-fastest time in history. Although she was on pace to break the record through 35km, she began to experience discomfort and slowed in the final stages.

Assefa still broke her own Berlin course record of 2:11:53, set in 2023, and improved upon her London Marathon time earlier this year. Race director Mark Milde praised her performance, noting she was on a world record pace for most of the race before tendon issues arose. The top five finishers in the women's race were all Ethiopian, with Bedatu Hirpa second and Dera Dida third.

In the men's race, fellow Ethiopian Guye Adola won with a time of 2:02:50. Ruth Chepngetich's 2:09:56 from the 2024 Chicago Marathon remains the official world record, though her result is overshadowed by a 2025 three-year doping ban.