FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
BMW BERLIN-MARATHON
Berlin's World Record Dream Pair: Tigst Assefa and Eliud Kipchoge
It was Kipchoge-Assefa Mark 2 at the BMW BERLIN-MARATHON: a year ago Eliud
Kipchoge led the way with 2:01:09 for the world record and Tigst Assefa won
in what was then the third fastest performance in history of 2:15:37. On
Sunday the outcome was reversed beside the Brandenburg Gate. The Ethiopian
triumphed in world record style with 2:11:53 and the Kenyan achieved the
eighth fastest time ever of 2:02:42. Their combined winning times gave
Berlin the fastest ever aggregate in a marathon for two champions for the
second year in succession. Last year it was 4:16:46, this this year even
faster with 4:14:35.
Tigst Assefa's path to the marathon world record was unusual, to say the
least. Having begun as an 800m runner, achieving a best of 1:59.24, this
was admittedly quick but not quick enough to register a genuine challenge
at international championships. In 2018 Assefa switched from the track to
the road.
After the Covid Lockdown she made her marathon debut in Riyadh in Saudi
Arabia where she finished seventh in 2:34. "That time did not reveal my
real level. Before the race I had an injury which hampered me but I didn't
want to pull out. It was about gaining experience in the marathon. It was a
lesson for me, I knew I had to train more," explained Tigst Assefa. She is
based in Addis Abeba among the training group led by Gemedu Dedefo. Other
members include the 2021 World Champion Tamirat Tola, Guye Adola, the
Berlin men's champion two years ago, and Amane Beriso, whose Ethiopian
record Assefa broke on Sunday.
Berlin last year marked Tigst Assefa's breakthrough but here on Sunday she
broke the world record and what a world record. "I hope that my performance
will be motivation for young women athletes in Ethiopia and that the world
record one year before the Olympic Games gives our country a boost for
Paris. I think this should be enough to ensure I am selected for the
Games," added Assefa.
At the end of the press conference Tigst Assefa did something unprecedented
in the history of the race for the second time that day. Never before had
an Ethiopian woman champion asked to be allowed to make a statement. In
emotional tones, Tigst Assefa explained through an interpreter: "I dedicate
my medal to Christoph Kopp." The well-known and influential German manager
died at the end of April at the age of 75. "Without Christoph I might not
have been here. He helped me develop and motivated me, even though I wasn't
one of his athletes. He was like that with other athletes as well, always
providing lots of motivation, was on the lookout for talent and supporting
them. He said to me, I should try the marathon. Christoph is the father of
my success." Tigst Assefa not only ran a fantastic world record but also
showed her generous personality with this statement.
The subject of the world record in the women's marathon also came up in
conversation with Eliud Kipchoge as he reflected on winning a record fifth
Berlin men's title but missing out on emulating his own world record of a
year ago. "I always say, no human is limited, that's why women are not
limited at all and why 2:11 is now the world record. Assefa has shown the
way and I trust the rest of the women will change their mentality in
thinking 2:11 is fast. They can train hard and break the world record."
More than once in recent comments, Kipchoge has emphasized how he believes
marathon racing as well as preparation for the event is a team effort.
After his victory on Sunday, he reflected on how in his first BMW
BERLIN-MARATHON victory in 2015, it felt much more like an individual
success but now his philosophy and that of the NN Running Team is
collective; "It's really teamwork. When I began, it was about the
individual, now it's teamwork. I'm managed by the team, I'm inside it and
that's the way the world is going, team events." Interesting also were his
thoughts about handling pressure. He accepts that his achievements make him
the focus of media attention but this approach of teamwork appears to ease
the burden brought by the spotlight: "The pressure is actually shared by
all of us. We share pressure, I have pressure on my shoulders but we share
it, we are a team and we speak with one language, we see things with two
eyes and hear with two ears and move on."
Some 60 years ago, Bob Dylan sang about "The Times They are A-Changing."
Witnessing Tigst Assefa's astounding world record and hearing Eliud
Kipchoge speak of how the marathon is moving towards a team event, those
lyrics of social commentary apply to this foot race as well.
More information is available online at: www.berlin-marathon.com
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