By Tapiwa Chawagarira
BERLIN, Germany — Zimbabwe’s hopes of securing a top-10 finish at the 2026 BMW Berlin Marathon were dashed, as the country’s representatives failed to break into the leading positions in a race dominated by Ethiopian athletes.
Tendai Zimuto was among the Zimbabweans who entered the prestigious German road race, with his personal best of 2:09:30 making him one of the athletes expected to compete strongly in the men’s field.
However, Zimuto did not finish in the top 10, as Ethiopia’s Guye Adola claimed the men’s title with a personal-best time of 2:02:50.
Adola was followed by compatriot Gemechu Dida in 2:03:19, while Tanzania’s Gabriel Geay completed the podium in 2:03:59. Ethiopia occupied eight of the men’s top 10 positions, with Japan’s Yuhei Urano and Geay the only non-Ethiopians in the top 10.
Zimuto entered the race with a 2:09:30 personal best, recorded at the Enschede Marathon in the Netherlands in April 2024. The Zimbabwean had also been listed among the elite men’s field by the Berlin Marathon organisers.
Zimbabwe was also represented by Moses Tarakinyu. The Black Rhinos Athletics Club athlete was making his third marathon appearance and arrived in Berlin with a personal best of 2:13:11.
Tarakinyu’s participation was seen as an important opportunity to gain experience against some of the world’s leading marathoners. His coach, Cuthbert Nyasango, said the immediate objective was to improve Tarakinyu’s personal best before targeting the 2027 World Athletics Championships qualifying standard of 2:06:00.
While the Zimbabweans could not challenge for the top 10, the men’s race still produced remarkable times at the front.
Adola’s 2:02:50 secured his second Berlin Marathon victory, five years after his first, while also improving his previous personal best. The victory capped an impressive marathon season for the Ethiopian, who also won the Rotterdam Marathon in April.
The women’s race was also dominated by Ethiopia, with Tigist Assefa winning in 2:11:04 after surviving a dramatic late challenge.
Assefa was on world-record pace deep into the race and reached 40km in 2:03:00 before appearing to suffer a physical problem. Despite slowing dramatically in the final kilometres, she held on to win and broke her own Berlin course record by 49 seconds.
Ethiopia swept the women’s podium, with Bedatu Hirpa second in 2:16:53 and Dera Dida third in 2:16:55.
For Zimbabwe, the Berlin experience nevertheless provided valuable international exposure for athletes targeting future major championships. Zimuto has previously qualified for the World Championships through the world rankings, while Tarakinyu is seeking to improve his marathon credentials ahead of the 2027 global championships.
The 2026 Berlin Marathon therefore ended with Ethiopia celebrating a men’s and women’s double, while Zimbabwe’s representatives finished outside the elite top 10 despite entering the race with ambitions of making an impression on one of the world’s fastest marathon courses.
