This archive report was first published on 26 September 2021.
On a fast-paced day at the 2021 Berlin Marathon, Ethiopian Kenenisa Bekele's bid to break Eliud Kipchoge's world record of 2:01:39 fell short. Bekele, who had expressed confidence in his ability to achieve the feat, finished third in 2:06:47.
Bekele's performance was overshadowed by the victory of his compatriot Guyo Adola, who crossed the finish line in 2:05:45. Kenyan Bethwel Yegon took second place in 2:06:14.
Adola attributed his success to a strategic decision to take the lead, saying, 'The race started off really fast, the leading pack couldn’t maintain that pace, so I took my chance to hit the front.'
Meanwhile, in the women's race, Ethiopian Gotytom Gebreslase made a triumphant debut, winning the marathon in 2:20:09. Her compatriots Hiwot Gebrekidan and Helen Tola took second and third place, respectively.
