Tigist Assefa: “I think I’m capable of running a sub-2:10 marathon”

The women’s world marathon record-holder believes she can go even faster than her best mark of 2:11:53

Tigist Assefa, the fastest female marathon runner in history, believes she can go even quicker.

The 27-year-old Ethiopian, who stunned the world when she set the world marathon record of 2:11:53 in Berlin last September, states she could break that time at some point in her career.

Whether that’s at this weekend’s TCS London Marathon remains to be seen, with Assefa up against the strongest women’s marathon field ever put together.

When Assefa ran 2:11:53 in the German capital, she took an astonishing two minutes and 11 seconds off Brigid Kosgei’s previous world record of 2:14:04.

Assefa and Kosgei will go head-to-head in London but they will also be joined by 2019 world champion Ruth Chepngetich, Olympic champion Peres Jepchirchir and 2022 London winner Yalemzerf Yehualaw. This means three of the four fastest women in history are in the race.

Tigist Assefa (Getty)

She will also wear the Adidas Adizero Adios Pro Evo 1, the same ‘super shoe’ that helped take her to immortality in Berlin.

“In the future I want to run under two hours and ten minutes,” Assefa tells AW, through a translator. “If I can do the training that will allow me to do that then that will be the key factor. I really think I’m capable, God willing, of going under that mark.

“I’m really excited about taking part in London. I had intended to do the marathon here last year but I was injured. That’s made me even more determined this time round.”

Assefa initially started out on the track and had such a good 800m background that she represented Ethiopia over the distance at the Rio 2016 Olympics. Although Assefa crashed out in the heats, she still boasts an 800m personal best of 1:59.24, set at the Lausanne Diamond League a decade ago.

Tigst Assefa (Getty)

An Achilles tendon injury meant that Assefa was forced to swap the track for the roads because she couldn’t wear spikes anymore.

“I think the switch from being a track runner to the marathons was not an easy one,” says Assefa. “It required a lot of hard work and it didn’t work immediately but now it feels much easier and more natural.”

Assefa is coached by Gemedu Dedefo, who also trains last week’s Boston Marathon winner and 2:01:48 runner Sisay Lemma, plus former London Marathon champion Tamirat Tola, to name just a few. That competitiveness in the group has helped each athlete on their journey in the marathon.

“We have a very strong group and it helps us we are all serious about our training,” adds the Ethiopian. “If we have good results then it gives us extra confidence when we go to other competitions.”

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