Gebreslase wins as world’s major marathons resume

Ethiopia’s Gotytom Gebreslase won the women’s Berlin Marathon on Sunday on her debut over the distance after compatriot Guye Adola had won the men’s title.

Gebreslase, 26, won in two hours, 20 minutes, nine seconds and led a clean sweep for the Ethiopians on the podium as Hiwot Gebrekidan took second, one minute, 14 seconds behind, with third place going to Helen Tola at two minutes, 56 seconds back.

“Although it was my first marathon, I was running to win. The course in Berlin was very nice and I want to come back to race again,” said Gebreslase, who won the world youth title over 3000m a decade ago.

Gebrekidan remains the fastest women in the world over the marathon distance (42.195 kilometres, 26.2 miles) this year having clocked her personal best of 2:19:35 in Milan last April.

The race through the streets of Germany’s capital was the first of the world’s major six marathons to take place with elite athletes and a mass field of runners – estimated at around 25,000 – since the Covid-19 pandemic.