The 2026 BMW Berlin Marathon: Can Tigst Assefa Correct History and Break The World Record?

Can Tigst Assefa correct history and reset the Marathon Women's World Record in Berlin this Sunday?

Sep 23, 2026 by John Davern

Tigst Assefa EXCLUSIVE Following Marathon World Record21:36

In October 2024, Ruth Chepngetich set the World Record in the Women’s Marathon with an astonishing 2:09:56 effort, lowering the previous record mark by nearly two-minutes.

Five months later, in March 2025, Chepngetich tested positive for the presence of hydrochlorothiazide (HCTZ) - a prohibited diuretic that can be used as a masking agent. On April 19, 2025, she began a voluntary provisional suspension and by October 2025 she was officially banned for doping.

The record, however, remains intact.

Chepngetich stole the World Record from Tigst Assefa. Assefa previously set the World Marathon Record Mark of 2:11:53 at the 2023 Berlin Marathon. Now one of the world’s most coveted records belongs to an athlete serving a doping ban.

US Audiences can watch Tigst Assefa attempt to re-set the World Record at the 2026 BMW Berlin Marathon this Sunday, September 27 at 2:30 AM ET.

I would argue it is the most blatantly tainted record in modern athletics.

I understand why it still stands. Chepngetich’s positive test came five months after the record - and there is a lack of definitive proof that she was using prohibited substances when she ran her mark. But it is also easy to understand the frustration about the record not being vacated.

Frustration further mounted as AIU findings surfaced messages from from 2022, 2023 and 2025 that related to “unidentified third parties working on 'programs' that, on their face, are possibly related to doping.”

But now, Tigst Assefa has a chance to set the record straight.

She has set her sights on the official Marathon World Record of 2:09:56.

But Can Tigst Assefa Set A World Record?

Earlier this year, Assefa set the women’s-only world record of 2:15:41 at the London Marathon.

At 29 years of age, she remains firmly in her prime. Dating back to September of 2022, she has not finished worse than second in a marathon.

In that span, she has collected four World Major Wins, an Olympic Silver and a World Championship Silver.

Editor’s Prediction: 2:09:44

Tech has only gotten better, Assefa will have dedicated male pacemakers, and we’ve already seen historic times in Berlin. The weather will be in the low to high 50’s - creating perfect conditions for a record attempt.

I have Assefa breaking the World Record by a small margin - as she becomes the second woman in history to break the 2:10:00 barrier.

This weekend, the running community will back Assefa from start-to-finish, willing her toward a performance that could rewrite the record books.

US Audiences can watch the 2026 Berlin Marathon LIVE on FloTrack on Sunday, September 27 at 2:30 AM ET.

2026 BMW Berlin Marathon Men's Entries

Gabriel Geay - Tanzania - 2:03:00
Getaneh Molla - Ethiopia - 2:03:34
Guye Adola - Ethiopia - 2:03:46
Shura Kitata - Ethiopia - 2:03:59
Dejene Hailu - Ethiopia - 2:04:15
Erick Sang - Kenya - 2:04:30
Selemon Barega - Ethiopia - 2:05:00
Taresa Tolosa - Ethiopia - 2:05:17
Tadu Abate - Ethiopia - 2:05:38
Asefa Boki - Ethiopia - 2:05:40
Kenya Sonota - Japan - 2:05:59
Tsubasa Ichiyama - Japan - 2:06:00
Kiyoto Hirabayashi - Japan - 2:06:14
Yuhei Urano - Japan - 2:06:23
Hidekazu Hijikata - Japan - 2:06:26
Yusuke Nishiyama - Japan - 2:06:31
Naoki Koyama - Japan - 2:06:33
Andamlak Belihu - Ethiopia - 2:06:40
Kazuya Nishiyama - Japan - 2:06:45
Daisuke Uekado - Japan - 2:06:54
Jie He - China - 2:06:57
Sebastian Hendel - Germany - 2:07:33
Shin Kimura - Japan - 2:07:34
Richard Yator - Kenya - 2:07:36
Ken Nakayama - Japan - 2:07:39
Shunsuke Shikama - Japan - 2:07:44
Shoma Hosoya - Japan - 2:07:48
Yuto Imae - Japan - 2:07:56
Wu Xiangdong - China - 2:08:04
Guojian Dong - China - 2:08:12
Haftom Welday - Germany - 2:08:13
Emanuel Dinday - Tanzania - 2:08:18
Laban Kiplimo - Kenya - 2:08:23
Aoi Ota - Japan - 2:08:31
Aaron Bienenfeld - Germany - 2:08:47
Felix Kurui - Kenya - 2:09:13
Tendai Zimuto - Zimbabwe - 2:09:30
Joseph Panga - Tanzania - 2:09:35
Paulo Paula - Brazil - 2:09:51
Jake Smith - Great Britain - 2:11:00
Tom Hendrikse - Netherlands - 2:11:07
Will Nation - USA - 2:11:14
Jiahao Wang - China - 2:11:17
Charlie Sweeney - USA - 2:11:28
Yohan Zaradzki - Belgium - 2:12:28
Lars Dewall - USA - 2:12:30
Zhangxing Yang - China - 2:12:36
Alexandru Corneschi - Romania - 2:12:39
Florian Von Muschwitz - Germany - 2:15:03
Jakob Lange - Germany - 2:16:43
David Gärtlein - Germany - 2:18:01
Julian Großkopf - Germany - 2:18:17

2026 BMW Berlin Marathon Women's Entries

Tigst Assefa - Ethiopia - 2:11:53
Rosemary Wanjiru - Kenya - 2:16:14
Bedatu Hirpa - Ethiopia - 2:18:27
Dera Dida - Ethiopia - 2:18:32
Zeineba Yimer - Ethiopia - 2:18:47
Bosena Mulatie - Ethiopia - 2:19:00
Misgane Alemayehu - Ethiopia - 2:19:08
Bekelech Gudeta - Ethiopia - 2:19:39
Evaline Chirchir - Kenya - 2:20:33
Deshun Zhang - China - 2:20:53
Gadise Mulu - Ethiopia - 2:20:59
Eebbisee Addunyaa - Ethiopia - 2:21:13
Aminet Ahmed - Ethiopia - 2:21:24
Rika Kaseda - Japan - 2:21:55
Mao Uesugi - Japan - 2:22:11
Pascaline Jelagat - Kenya - 2:22:44
Manon Trapp - France - 2:23:38
Natsuki Omori - Japan - 2:23:45
Fatima Gardadi - Morocco - 2:24:06
Jacqueline Gaughan - USA - 2:24:40
Rino Goshima - Japan - 2:24:44
Kodi Kleven - USA - 2:24:48
Margaux Sieracki - France - 2:25:50
Fadouwa Ledhem - France - 2:25:50
Lucy Reid - Great Britain - 2:26:37
Ayumi Morita - Japan - 2:26:48
Mary Munanu - Kenya - 2:26:59
Kristina Hendel - Germany - 2:27:29
Annie Bothma - South Africa - 2:27:45
Allie Kieffer - USA - 2:28:12
Maya Weigel - USA - 2:28:45
Rebecca Schmitt - USA - 2:28:47
Katja Goldring - USA - 2:29:01
Tessa Barrett - USA - 2:30:11
Annie Heffernan - USA - 2:30:26
Jana Soethout - Germany - 2:31:09
Rutendo Nyahora - Zimbabwe - 2:32:00
Anna Langerwisch - Germany - 2:32:13
Monica Hebner - USA - 2:32:40
Thea Heim - Germany - 2:33:25
Cara Zollenkopf - Germany - 2:36:05
Esther Pfeiffer - Germany - 2:37:00
Alemaddis Eyayu - Ethiopia - Debut
Ludwina Chepngetich - Kenya - Debut
Sisilia Panga - Tanzania - Debut

When Is The 2026 BMW Berlin Marathon?

The 2026 BMW Berlin Marathon takes place on Sunday, Sept. 27. For viewers in the United States, the race starts at 2:30 a.m. ET. In Berlin, the starting gun goes off at 8:30 a.m. local time.

Here's How To Watch The 2026 BMW Berlin Marathon In Berlin, Germany

FloTrack will provide live coverage of the 2026 BMW Berlin Marathon, bringing the action from the streets of Berlin, Germany, to viewers at home. Subscribe here to catch all of the action.

Coverage begins at 2:30 a.m. ET on Sunday, September 27.

FloTrack Archived Footage

Video footage from each event will be archived and stored in a video library for FloTrack subscribers to watch for the duration of their subscriptions.

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