2024 Berlin Marathon: Ethiopia's Milkesa Mengesha and Tigist ...

Milkesa Mengesha of Ethiopia raced to victory in a time of 2:03.17 to win the 50th edition of the Berlin Marathon on Sunday (29 September).

The final kilometre of the grueling classic 42.2km distance came down to a two-horse race between Kenya's Cybrian Kotut and Mengesha.

Running shoulder to shoulder Mengesha and Kotut entered the final stretch with little separating the two. Mengesha cranked up the pace as he passed underneath the Brandenburg Gate in the lead before racing home in first place. Kotut crossed the line in a time of 2:03.22 with Ethiopia's Haymanot Alew rounding out the podium in 2:03.31.

The men’s elite race set off on a blistering pace with 20-odd athletes in the lead group which included pre-race favourite Tadese Takele.

Takele lined up at the start boasting the fastest personal best time in the field with the 2:03:24 he clocked in last year’s race where he finished in third place.

The leading group, which had been whittled down to about 10 runners, went through the halfway mark in a time of 60:57.

The pacemakers dropped out shortly after 25km with former world half marathon record-holder Kibiwott Kandie surging to split the group slightly. Kandie’s move saw the group of eight men clock the fastest split of the race so far.

The burst of pace was short-lived as they slowed dramatically as they headed into the final quarter of the race setting up a mouth-watering tactical contest.

The group was reduced to five without any of the leading men showing their cards as the race was winding up.

Takele dropped out of contention with four kilometres to go leaving Kotut, Kiprop, Mengesha, and Alew to fight it out for the crown. Alew fell off the pace a kilometre later and Kiprop with one to go.

In the women’s race, Tigist Ketema was effectively running solo at the front with compatriot Azmeru Gebru tracking shortly behind her over the first few kilometres of the race.

Ketemu’s pace proved too much for Gebru as she stretched her advantage to 12 seconds as she went through 21km in a time of 67:53.

The 26-year-old Ketema, who set a stunning debut over the distance with a time of 2:16:07, opening a near unassailable lead. Ketema continued her solo run without any challenge from the rest of the field crossing the line in 2:16.42, the third fastest wining time in the history of the race.

Completing a Ethiopian podium sweep, Mestawot Fikir crossed the line in second place clocking 2:18:48 with Bosena Mulatie finishing third in 2:19:00.