The Guye Adola Berlin record reads like a short version of his whole career. In the German capital he made his marathon debut in 2017, won his first major in 2021, had a modest fourth place in 2025 and, on 27 September 2026, ran the fastest race of his life. Three of those days — 2017, 2021 and 2026 — are the focus of this page.
Here we go through each Guye Adola Berlin start using the results in World Athletics, checked on 22 October 2026. We describe only what is documented — places, times, rivals named in results and published race reports — and leave out details we could not confirm. His other races are on the Guye Adola marathon results page.
Guye Adola at the Berlin Marathon: all starts
| Date | Place | Time | Context |
|---|---|---|---|
| 24 Sep 2017 | 2nd | 2:03:46 | Marathon debut, behind Eliud Kipchoge |
| 26 Sep 2021 | 1st | 2:05:45 | First major win; Kenenisa Bekele third |
| 21 Sep 2025 | 4th | 2:07:11 | — |
| 27 Sep 2026 | 1st | 2:02:50 | Personal best |
The World Athletics database has no results for him in 2022, so we cannot say from that source whether he raced anywhere that year.
2017: a record-fast debut behind Kipchoge
He arrived in Berlin as a half-marathon specialist. He had won the Roma-Ostia Half Marathon in 59:18 on 12 March 2017, and his best for 21.1 km was 59:06 from New Delhi in 2014. On 24 September 2017 he lined up for his first marathon and finished second behind Eliud Kipchoge in 2:03:46.
No man had ever run faster in a first marathon at that time. Fastest debut is not an official World Athletics record category, and the mark has been bettered since. The debut time would remain his personal best for nine years.
2021: Guye Adola’s Berlin Marathon win over Bekele
Four years later he came back to Berlin with a mixed record over the distance: 17th in London in April 2018, third in Valencia in December 2019 (2:04:42) and no marathon in his database results for 2020. His only race in 2020 in the database was 22nd place at the World Athletics Half Marathon Championships in Gdynia on 17 October 2020 (1:00:50). On 26 September 2021 he won in Berlin in 2:05:45. Kenenisa Bekele finished third.
It was his first victory at one of the Abbott World Marathon Majors and, as of 22 October 2026, one of three marathon wins in his World Athletics results.
2025: fourth place
His third Berlin start, on 21 September 2025, ended in fourth place in 2:07:11. It came after second and third places in Paris and Frankfurt in 2023 and a DNF in Valencia on 1 December 2024 — a run without a marathon win in his database results. The time itself, 2:07:11, was close to his Paris and Frankfurt finishes of 2023 (2:07:35 and 2:07:44).
Guye Adola Berlin 2026: a second win in 2:02:50
The build-up
The 2026 season changed the picture. On 12 April 2026 he won the NN Marathon Rotterdam in 2:03:54, his fastest time since the 2017 debut. Before Berlin, Marathon Handbook reported him saying that he was in the best shape of his life.
The race on 27 September 2026
According to race reports he broke away from the leading group between about 25 and 30 km. His finishing time of 2:02:50, as listed by World Athletics, took 56 seconds off the personal best he had set on the same course in 2017 and was 64 seconds faster than his Rotterdam win five and a half months earlier. It was his second Berlin title, five years after the first.
After the race
On 22 October 2026 he was ranked No. 8 in the World Athletics men’s marathon ranking. No further race had been announced for him by that date, and his name was not in the published elite fields for New York (1 November 2026) or Valencia (6 December 2026).
What the three Berlin races have in common
Set side by side, the three races show the shape of his career. The 2017 debut (2:03:46) and the 2026 win (2:02:50) are the two fastest marathons in his World Athletics results, 56 seconds apart. The 2021 win in 2:05:45 was slower than both but brought his first major title. With wins in 2021 and 2026, Berlin is the only marathon he has won more than once, as of 22 October 2026.
Where to watch the Berlin Marathon from Ethiopia
In 2025 the Berlin Marathon was listed on SuperSport for African viewers; according to the published broadcaster lists, the race’s own YouTube stream is limited to Germany, Austria and Switzerland, and the Olympic Channel stream covered European and Central Asian territories. The 2027 date was outside our calendar window as of 22 October 2026. Verified channels for athletics in Ethiopia:
Official rights holders only, checked 22 October 2026. Rights change by event and season – check the broadcaster’s schedule before a race. We do not link to unofficial streams.
More on his career is on the main Guye Adola page, and the season calendar is on our Ethiopian athletes hub.
Guye Adola Berlin FAQ
How many times has Guye Adola won the Berlin Marathon?
Twice, as of 22 October 2026: on 26 September 2021 in 2:05:45 and on 27 September 2026 in 2:02:50.
What was Guye Adola’s time at the Berlin Marathon 2026?
World Athletics lists 2:02:50, his personal best.
Who did Guye Adola beat to win Berlin in 2021?
He won in 2:05:45, and Kenenisa Bekele finished third.
Who won the Berlin Marathon when Guye Adola made his debut?
Eliud Kipchoge won on 24 September 2017; Guye Adola was second in 2:03:46.
Will Guye Adola run Berlin in 2027?
Nothing had been announced as of 22 October 2026.