2025 Berlin Marathon Results: Sawe and Wanjiru Conquer Heat for Standard Titles
ELITE & INDUSTRY NEWS
BERLIN, GERMANY — September 21, 2025
Featured Image Credit of Sabastian Sawe/Rosemary Wanjiru/Marcel Hug/Manuela Schär: © SCC EVENTS / Petko Beier and Jean-Mark Wiesner
The 2025 BMW Berlin Marathon delivered a spectacular day of dominance across all elite divisions, as Kenyan runners Sabastian Sawe and Rosemary Wanjiru claimed the standard marathon titles, while Switzerland's Marcel Hug and Manuela Schär secured a commanding sweep in the wheelchair races.
Unseasonable Heat Adds Dramatic Test to the Elite Field
The famous flat and fast Berlin course was met with unseasonably warm conditions that challenged the thousands of runners and put world record aspirations on ice. With temperatures climbing rapidly from a starting mark of approximately 22°C (71°F), soaring toward an expected midday high near 27°C (80°F), organizers had issued a public heat advisory days before the event.
This thermal load added a significant layer of difficulty to the grueling 42.195-kilometer distance, pushing the elite field—who typically seek cooler conditions (7°C-12°C) for peak performance—to their absolute limits.
Sawe's Solo Masterpiece Rewrites the Record Books Despite the Heat
Sabastian Sawe fully justified his status as the pre-race favourite, producing a stunning display of sustained power to clock a world-leading time of 2 hours, 2 minutes, and 16 seconds (2:02:16). This magnificent time was achieved in spite of the energy-sapping heat, solidifying his claim as the most formidable marathoner of the current era.
Sawe's early ambition was clear, running on pace to challenge Eliud Kipchoge's 2:01:09 World Record before the rising heat began to take its toll. After his final pacemakers departed, Sawe embarked on a remarkable 17-kilometre solo time trial, finishing nearly four minutes ahead of his closest competitor.
Men's Leading Results (Standard Marathon)
Sabastian Sawe (KEN): 2:02:16
Akira Akasaki (JPN): 2:06:15
Chimdessa Debele (ETH): 2:06:57
Wanjiru's Gritty Win: Three Seconds of Pure Drama Fueled by Fatigue
The women's race concluded with a nerve-shredding finale that perfectly illustrated the impact of the rising temperatures. Rosemary Wanjiru secured her second major title with a winning time of 2:21:05, but the compounding thermal stress on her body was evident as she faltered over the final kilometre. Wanjiru narrowly held off the rapidly closing Dera Dida (ETH), securing the win by a mere three seconds.
Women's Leading Results (Standard Marathon)
Rosemary Wanjiru (KEN): 2:21:05
Dera Dida (ETH): 2:21:08
Azmera Gebru (ETH): 2:21:29
Swiss Dominance: Hug and Schär Master the Wheelchair Division
The elite wheelchair races saw a dominant double victory for Switzerland, confirming the status of their two top athletes on the global stage.
Marcel Hug continued his unparalleled winning streak, securing his 10th career victory at the Berlin Marathon with a commanding time of 1:21:46. Known as the 'Silver Bullet', Hug broke away early, establishing a gap of more than two minutes by the halfway mark and finishing more than six minutes ahead of British rival David Weir (1:27:55).
In the women's wheelchair race, Manuela Schär matched her compatriot's dominance, taking her seventh Berlin Marathon title with a time of 1:35:08. Schär's victory was emphatic, though the battle for the remaining podium spots was fierce, with Britain's Jade Hall (1:40:18) narrowly edging out Eden Rainbow Cooper (1:40:19) and American legend Tatyana McFadden (1:40:22) in a dramatic sprint finish for second place:
Wheelchair Leading Results
Men
Marcel Hug (SUI): 1:21:46
David Weir (GBR): 1:27:55
Jetze Plat (NED): 1:28:49
Women
Manuela Schär (SUI): 1:35:08
Jade Hall (GBR): 1:40:18
Eden Rainbow Cooper (GBR): 1:40:19
The 2025 Berlin Marathon cemented Sabastian Sawe as a generational talent and showcased the enduring dominance of Swiss champions Marcel Hug and Manuela Schär in the wheelchair division, ensuring a truly global day of elite marathon racing.