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Berlin Marathon 2025: Sabastian Sawe and Rosemary Wanjiru lead Kenya to double victory in men’s and women’s races
Sabastian Sawe and Rosemary Wanjiru gave Kenya a clean sweep at the 2025 Berlin Marathon, overcoming warm conditions to secure emphatic victories.
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The 2025 edition of the Berlin Marathon saw Kenya's Sabastian Sawe storm to victory, cementing his place among the world's leading long-distance runners. The 29-year-old has already set what is almost his personal best after running his third marathon in 2:02:16, his previous time being an 11-second better at Valencia in 2024, reported AFP.
Although Sawe's time can never compete with Kelvin Kiptum's world record of 2:00:35 and Eliud Kipchoge's course record of 2:01:09, his performances rank as the fastest marathon of 2025 and the ninth best in history.
According to The Independent, speaking after his win, Sawe said, “It was hard but I gave my best.” Sawe noted that he was well prepared and that he was happy with his performance. “You cannot change the weather, but I will be back next year and hope to do better,” he added.
Japan’s Akira Akasaki surprised many by finishing second in 2:06:15, the best performance by a Japanese man since 1999, while Ethiopia’s Chimdessa Debele came third with 2:06:57.
Rosemnary Wanjiru finally claims Berlin title
Berlin saw Rosemary Wanjiru winning the maiden edition, surpassing her Berlin debut in 2022. Dera Dida of Ethiopia was just three seconds behind the 30-year-old, who had earlier won the Tokyo Marathon 2023, clocking 2:21:05. Wanjiru felt the pressure with Dida closing in close to the Brandenburg Gate, but after the 25-kilometer mark, she went ahead, although she was clearly struggling in the last kilometers.
After recovering from a collapse at the finish line, Wanjiru was able to celebrate a memorable victory. Even though her timing was well outside of Tigst Assefa's Berlin course record and Ruth Chepngetich's women's world record (2:09:56), it was the first championship win for a Kenyan woman in Berlin after 2018. Azmera Gebru of Ethiopia was third with 2:21:29, according to the AFP report.
Challenging conditions for Sawe and Wanjiru
The men’s race began at a record pace, with Sawe and the lead group on track for a world record inside the first 10 kilometers. Sawe broke away by the halfway point, crossing in 60:16. He did, however, slow down a little in the last stages as the temperature increased to 25°C with high humidity.
Wanjiru was also affected by the heat, as some runners required additional time to rest and rehydrate, which caused the women's award ceremony to be postponed.
Despite the difficult conditions, Berlin once again proved to be one of the fastest marathon courses, producing some of the year's best performances.
Also read: Athletics-Kenya's Jepchirchir wins marathon gold in thrilling last-spurt duel
FAQs
Who won the 2025 Berlin Marathon?
Kenya’s Sabastian Sawe won the men’s race, while compatriot Rosemary Wanjiru won the women’s race.
What were their times?
Sawe finished in 2:02:16, while Wanjiru clocked 2:21:05.
How close were they to world records?
Both winners were well outside the world records. Sawe was nearly two minutes slower than Kelvin Kiptum’s 2:00:35, while Wanjiru finished over 11 minutes behind Ruth Chepngetich’s 2:09:56.
