Assefa undergoes surgery after completing Berlin Marathon with ruptured Achilles
Ethiopian runner Tigst Assefa finished the Berlin Marathon in 2:11:04 despite suffering a complete rupture of her right Achilles tendon near the end of the race. The time was the third-fastest in history and a course record, but 68 seconds outside Ruth Chepng’etich’s world record.
Ethiopian runner Tigst Assefa has undergone surgery after completing the Berlin Marathon with a complete rupture of her right Achilles tendon. Assefa was on course to challenge the world record during the race, running inside the mark through 30 kilometres. She began to struggle near the Brandenburg Gate with about two kilometres remaining, then limped to the finish.
She recorded 2:11:04, which was the third-fastest marathon time in history and a course record. The result was 68 seconds slower than the world record of 2:09:56 set by Kenya’s Ruth Chepng’etich in Chicago in 2024. Assefa’s team said the 29-year-old had felt pain in her Achilles from the 31-kilometre point but continued racing.
She collapsed soon after crossing the line and required assistance to leave the finishing area. Her representative, Gianni Demadonna, said the tendon had been completely destroyed and that Assefa ran the final 500 metres without its normal power. She was flown to Munich by private jet provided by sponsor Adidas.
Coach Gemedu Dedifo said Assefa successfully underwent complex surgery within 24 hours. Sports physiotherapist Zoe Russell said the timing of surgery was important after an Achilles rupture because the tendon retracts and muscles can lose conditioning. Assefa sent a message from hospital through the Berlin Marathon organisers, saying the operation had gone well and promising to return and break the record.
The supplied material does not provide a timetable for her recovery or return to competition.
This independently written report is based on information supplied by the named publisher. Vertrix News has not independently verified the source report.