Records were on the line as Andrea Kiptoo and Likina Amebaw won the Berlin Half Marathon

Andrea Kiptoo and Likina Amebaw won the 45th Generali Berlin Half Marathon on Sunday, March 29.

Men’s race

Kiptoo, clearly enjoying the most important win of his career to date, celebrated vociferously after clocking 59:11 against a strong field of competitors. It helped to have Kenyan Dennis Kipkemoi, running as a pacemaker, step aside near the end. They were credited with the same time.

Third place went to Amanal Petros, who broke his own German record by nine seconds, stopping the clock at 59:22 to finish just ahead of Switzerland’s Dominic Lobalu, just one second back.

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Petros went into the race eyeing the European record currently held by Andreas Almgren of 58:41, set on October 26, 2025, at the Valencia Half Marathon.

“It was cold and windy so I slowed down until my body warmed up. I am very happy with the German record,” Petros told European Athletics.

Temoi took them through the 5km mark in 14:02.

Kiptoo passed through 5km in 13:53 and then ran a 13:47 to record a 27:50 first 10km, leading four or five others in a pack which included Kiptoo, Lobalu a fading Temoi.

Petros did rally to put in an impressive late surge. He was thrilled to have bettered his own national record as he prepares for the 2026 London Marathon.

Seven men ran sub-60.

Women’s race

It was a deep field.

Ethiopian Likina Amebaw won in a time of 1:05:07. She was followed in by Daidilah Jerono of Kenya, who recorded a 1:05:21 time and Veronica Loleo in 1:05:35. They finished in second and third, respectively.

Amebaw led for most of the 21.1 kilometre (13.1-mile) race.

Esther Pfeiffer was the leading German and European finisher, placing fifth. This performance represented a new personal best of 67:25. “I have had two tough weeks because I had a cold. But now I am thrilled about the personal best,” she said.

Interestingly, Canadian Natasha Wodak, who holds the national marathon record at 2:23:12 and was the first Canadian to go sub-70 (69:41), wanted to better her PB at age 45. She ran well, despite recent training setbacks, but was off the mark a little, but ran well to finish in 1:10:56. Wodak finished 24th.

She wrote on social media, “Ok, we will take that! I wanted a bit more (don’t we always!), but this is just where I’m at right now! and it’s actually a pretty good place to be 8 weeks out from the Ottawa Marathon:) excited to build on this!”

Three women finished sub-1:06, while 17 women finished sub-70.

Results

Women