Berlin Marathon: Kenya’s Kandie faces Takele hurdle in bid for first marathon major win; Ketema and Dibaba battle for women’s crown

Former half-marathon world record-holder (57:32), Kenya’s Kibiwott Kandie will be hoping to win his first marathon major win at the BMW Berlin Marathon this weekend in Berlin.

Kandie, a former World half marathon silver medalist holds a marathon best of 2:04:48 and will be seeking to ensure another Kenyan win following Eliud Kipchoge’s incredible record in Berlin.

With Kipchoge absent, the race looks very open and Kandie will be challenged by Ethiopia’s Tadese Takele who is the fastest runner among the competitors with the 2:03:24 lifetime best he ran to place third at the same event in 2023.

For the women’s race, the all eyes will be on the Ethiopia duo of Tigist Ketema and Genzebe Dibaba.

The 26 year old ran an impressive 2:16:07 this January in Dubai in her marathon debut, the ninth-fastest marathon time in the all-time list.

Ketema says she is looking to move close to the 2:11:53 world record her training partner, Tigist Assefa ran to win the Berlin marathon last year.

‘I have prepared to run a personal best and plan to run the first half on Sunday in around 68 minutes,’ said Ketema. ‘I hope it won’t be too cold since I run better in warmer conditions.

‘Before Dubai I was certainly apprehensive about the distance but afterwards, I asked myself, why was that?’

Dibaba is also seeking to improve on the 2:18:05 lifetime best she ran in Amsterdam in 2022.

The former world 3000m steeplechase, mile and 5000m record holder says she is inspired to run in Berlin after the heroics of her countryman, Haile Gebrselassie who broke two world records in the German capital.

‘I’ve seen on TV how Haile Gebrselassie broke two world records in Berlin. Since then, I’ve always wanted to run here and now I have the chance. Success for me would mean breaking my personal best,’ Dibaba was quoted as saying by Athletics Weekly magazine.