Adola storms to victory in Berlin

At the age of 30, the 2017 Berlin Marathon silver medalist Ethiopian Guye Adola is the winner of the 2021 edition of the race run on the streets of the German capital on election day, 26 September 2021. 

Adola went into the race as the second favourite to defending champion Kenenisa Bekele who had come to within two seconds of breaking the World marathon record on the same course in 2019. 

Adola, a half marathon specialist who boasts a marathon personal best of 2:03:36 set on the same course in the 2017 Berlin Marathon when he challenged Eliud Kipchoge to finish second setting the fastest marathon debut ever, put on a great performance to clinch gold in 2:05.45.

"I thought it would have been a good race going up against Kenenisa but I didn't think I would win. The heat was just too much and at the finish line my feet were hurting. The Berlin course is nice and suited for me so I will be back to defend my title," said Adola in his post-race interview.

Kenya's Bethwel Yegon who had not featured in the leading pack through the race clocked 2:06.14 for silver as favourite Bekele completed the podium places in 2:06.47. 

All eyes were on Bekele as the race gunned off as he went on to hit the first 5km split in 14:22. The leading pack clocked 14:25 for the second 5km which was still under World Record pace.

Bekele was dropped off the lead group that had the pace makers and four runners among them Adola and Kenya's Philemon Kacheran who went to the race with 2:06:05 personal best at 18km . The pack went through the 15km 10 seconds inside the World Record race. 

A 60:48 split at halfway was quicker than planned and much quicker than Kipchoge's 61:06 when he broke the world record and that was felt as the leading pack slowed down considerably in the next 5km allowing Bekele reel in on the leading pack in the 27km mark and lead the pack.

However, they had slowed down and by the30km mark they were over a.minute behindthe world record pace. 

Kacheran was dropped off at the 34km mark, leaving Adola and Bekele to do battle for the remaining eight kilometers. At that point, it was a race for gold and the hopes of breaking the record were long gone. 

At 35km, Adola made his move and he kept the pace going creating a safe gap between him and Bekele. At the 37km mark, the cameras zoomed in on an incoming runner, racing on the shoulder of Bekele and looking strong and calm, Yegon.

With four kilometers to complete, Yegon caught up with Adola but the Ethiopian reasserted himself at the 40km mark to put a 15-20m gap between himself and Yegon and the podium places were decided from then on.