Milkesa Mengesha and Tigist Ketema from Ethiopia win the 50th edition of the Berlin Marathon

BERLIN (AP) — Ethiopians Milkesa Mengesha and Tigist Ketema won the men's and women's races at the 50th edition of the Berlin Marathon on Sunday.

Mengesha, 24, finished the race strongly, running a personal best of 2 hours, 3 minutes and 17 seconds to finish the men's race ahead of Kenya's Cybrian Kotut and Stephen Kiprop. Haymanot Alew of Ethiopia came fourth.

Mengesha broke down after crossing the finish line, wiping away tears as he was overcome with emotion.

The women's result was clear long before the men's as Ketema left her rivals behind before half-time, finishing in 2:16:42 – the third fastest time recorded in Berlin. Compatriots Mestawot Fikir and Bosena Mulatie followed with 2:18:48 and 2:19:00 respectively.

The conditions on a sunny, clear autumn day in the German capital were perfect.

A record 58,212 runners from 161 nations registered to run on the route, which has set more world records (13) than any other. Another record wasn't expected any time soon after the top stars competed at the Olympics last month.

It was the first Berlin Marathon without Kenyan Eliud Kipchoge or Ethiopian Kenenisa Bekele since 2014.

Kipchoge still holds the Berlin course record of 2:01:09 from 2022 – then a world record that was only beaten by Kelvin Kiptum with a time of 2:00:35 at the Chicago Marathon in October last year. The 24 year old Kiptum was killed in a car accident in his native Kenya in February.

Ethiopia's Tigst Assefa laid the foundation stone Women's world record of 2:11:53 at the Berlin Marathon last year.

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