Tigst Assefa 'Devastated' After Achilles Rupture Ends Berlin Marathon World Record Bid

Ethiopian distance running star Tigst Assefa has undergone emergency surgery in Munich after remarkably completing, and winning, the Berlin Marathon with a fully ruptured Achilles tendon, her management team has confirmed.

The 29-year-old appeared on course to smash the women's world record through the 35-kilometre mark before visibly slowing down as severe discomfort took hold.

Showing extraordinary grit, Assefa limped across the finish line before collapsing onto the pavement, still registering an astonishing 2:11:04, the third-fastest women's marathon performance in history.

Assefa's manager, Gianni Demadonna, revealed that the runner had suffered a total rupture of the tendon during the closing stages of the race.

"The tendon was completely gone when she ran the last two kilometres," Demadonna explained to RFI. "She started to feel some pain after 31 kilometres, and after 40 kilometres, the pain intensified rapidly. Over those final two kilometres, the tendon fibres tore apart step by step until it was completely severed. By the end, she couldn't move at all."

Despite the worsening pain, Assefa continued towards the finish and secured her third career Berlin Marathon victory.

Following the race, Assefa's sponsor chartered a private flight to transport her to a premier orthopaedic facility in Bavaria, the same specialised clinic that has treated prominent athletes, including Bayern Munich and Germany international Jamal Musiala.

Her management team confirmed that she underwent emergency surgery after arriving in Munich.

"She is devastated about tearing the tendon, and naturally disappointed to lose the world record in the final two kilometres," Demadonna added.

Demadonna said the circumstances surrounding Assefa's finish made her performance even more remarkable.

"However, the fact that she finished at all is incredible. Watching the footage, she was effectively running on one leg while the other simply absorbed the impact without generating any power."

Medical staff anticipate an extensive rehabilitation period of around seven months, with management targeting a potential return to elite competition at the London Marathon in April 2027.

"She is in excellent hands, and we hope everything goes smoothly, but the road to recovery will be very long," said Demadonna.

Sunday's triumph marked Assefa's third career victory in Berlin, but the achievement was overshadowed by the injury and the world record that slipped away during the closing kilometres.

Ironically, Assefa originally transitioned to the marathon distance after an earlier Achilles injury disrupted her track career in 2016.

Her immediate focus will now shift from chasing records to rehabilitation as she begins the long road back to competition.