Tigst Assefa facts for kids

Tigst on her way to the world record at the 2023 Berlin Marathon
Quick facts for kids Personal information
Full name	Tigst Assefa Tessema
Born	(1996-12-03) 3 December 1996 (age 28) Holeta Oromia, Ethiopia
Height	1.67 m
Sport
Country	Ethiopia
Sport	Athletics
Event(s)	Long-distance running
Coached by	Gemedu Dedefo
Achievements and titles
Highest world ranking	1st (Marathon, 2023)
Personal best(s)	800 m: 1:59.24 (Lausanne 2014) Marathon: 2:11:53 NR (Berlin 2023)
Medal record Women's athletics Representing  Ethiopia Olympic Games Silver 2024 Paris Marathon World Marathon Majors Gold 2022 Berlin Marathon Gold 2023 Berlin Marathon Silver 2024 London Marathon Gold 2025 London Marathon African Junior Championships Silver 2013 Bambous 4x400 m relay Bronze 2013 Bambous 800 m

Tigst Assefa Tessema (Amharic: ትእግስት አሰፋ; Oromo: Tigist Asaffaa Tasammaa; born 3 December 1996) is an amazing Ethiopian long-distance runner. She used to hold the world record for women in the marathon race. Tigst has won three major World Marathon Majors races. She won twice in Berlin and once in London.

Tigst started her career as an 800 meters runner. In 2018, she switched to road races. She ran her very first marathon in 2022. When she was 16, Tigst won a bronze medal in the 800 meters. This was at the 2013 African Junior Athletics Championships. The next year, she came in fourth at the senior African Championships. At 19, she represented Ethiopia at the 2016 Rio Olympics.

Tigst ran the third-fastest female marathon ever at the 2022 Berlin Marathon. Then, on September 24, 2023, she broke the world record at the 2023 Berlin Marathon. She finished in 2 hours, 11 minutes, and 53 seconds. This was 2 minutes and 11 seconds faster than the old record! She was the first woman to run a marathon under 2 hours 14 minutes, 2 hours 13 minutes, and 2 hours 12 minutes. Her world record was later broken by Ruth Chepng'etich in October 2024.

Tigst's Running Journey

Tigst (in yellow shirt) at a race in Reims, France in 2013.

Tigst started running at a young age. When she was 12, she won a bronze medal. This was in the 400 metres at the 2009 senior Ethiopian Athletics Championships. Her time was 56.70 seconds. In January 2012, she got her first international experience. She competed in France in the 800 metres. That same year, at 15, she ran for Ethiopia in the 400 meters. This was at the African Championships in Benin. She set a new personal best time of 54.05 seconds.

After 2012, Tigst focused on the 800 meters. In 2013, at 16, she became the Ethiopian junior champion. She ran a personal best of 2:01.25 in Switzerland. She also won a bronze medal at the 2013 African Junior Athletics Championships. This event was held in Mauritius. She also helped her team win a silver medal in the 4 × 400 meters relay. The next year, she ran her fastest 800 meters ever, 1:59.24, in Switzerland. She finished fourth at the African Championships in Morocco. She also won a race in Germany.

In 2016, at 19, Tigst competed for Ethiopia. She ran in the 800 meters at the World Indoor Championships in the United States. She also went to the Rio Olympic Games in Brazil. She did not make it past the first rounds in either event.

After 2016, Tigst stopped racing on the track. An Achilles tendon injury made it hard for her to train in spikes. After a two-year break, in November 2018, she started racing on the roads. She ran a 10 km race in Dubai. The next year, she improved her 10 km time. She also ran her first half marathon in Spain. She finished fifth in that race.

2022: A Big Leap in Marathons

In March 2022, Tigst ran her first full marathon. This was after a two-year break due to an injury and the COVID-19 pandemic. She finished seventh in the Riyadh Marathon in Saudi Arabia. She was not in her best shape for that race. After that, she competed in several 10 km and half marathon races. She won all of them and set new personal bests.

In September 2022, Tigst ran the 2022 Berlin Marathon. She set the third-fastest time ever for a female marathon runner. She finished in 2 hours, 15 minutes, and 37 seconds. This was a huge improvement of over 18 minutes from her previous best! She ran the second half of the race faster than the first half. This is called a negative split. She won the race by more than two minutes. She also set a new Ethiopian record. In December, she won another half marathon in Bahrain.

2023: Breaking the World Record

On September 24, 2023, Tigst ran the 2023 Berlin Marathon again. She wore special super shoes. She set a new female world record! Her amazing time was 2 hours, 11 minutes, and 53 seconds. She cut 2 minutes and 11 seconds off the old record. The previous record was set by Brigid Kosgei in 2019. Tigst was the first woman to run a marathon under 2 hours 14 minutes, 2 hours 13 minutes, and 2 hours 12 minutes.

She ran the first half of the race very fast. She was almost two minutes quicker than the year before. She ran the second half even faster than the first! This was the first time an Ethiopian woman broke the marathon world record. Her time was even faster than the men's world record from 1960. That record was set by her countryman Abebe Bikila.

2024: Olympic Silver Medal

On Sunday, August 11, 2024, Tigst won a silver medal in the marathon. This was at the Olympic Games in Paris. She finished second with a time of 2:22:58. She was only 3 seconds behind the winner, Sifan Hassan. Near the end of the race, there was a moment where both runners stumbled. Tigst said she thought she might have won gold if that had not happened.

2025: London Marathon Gold

On Sunday, April 27, 2025, Tigst won the 45th London Marathon. She claimed the gold medal and the Chris Brasher Sporting Life Trophy. She finished in 2 hours, 15 minutes, and 50 seconds. This time broke the previous women's-only world record. That record was 2:16:16, set by Peres Jepchirchir in London the year before.

Achievements and Best Times

Tigst Assefa has achieved many great things in her running career. Here are some of her best times and international results.

Personal Best Times

International Competitions

Representing  Ethiopia

Year	Competition	Venue	Position	Event	Time
2012	African Championships	Porto-Novo, Benin	19th (sf)	400 m	55.58
			7th	4 × 400 m relay	3:41.10
2013	African Junior Championships	Réduit, Mauritius	3rd	800 m	2:05.6h
			2nd	4 × 400 m relay	3:42.2h
2014	African Championships	Marrakesh, Morocco	4th	800 m	2:00.43
	Continental Cup	Marrakesh, Morocco	4th	800 m	2:00.57
2016	World Indoor Championships	Portland, OR, United States	12th (h)	800 m i	2:04.55
	Olympic Games	Rio de Janeiro, Brazil	20th (h)	800 m	2:00.21 SB
World Marathon Majors
2022	Berlin Marathon	Berlin, Germany	1st	Marathon	2:15:37 CR NR
2023	Berlin Marathon	Berlin, Germany	1st	Marathon	2:11:53 CR WR
2024	London Marathon	London, England	2nd	Marathon	2:16:23
2025	London Marathon	London, England	1st	Marathon	2:15:50

See also

In Spanish: Tigst Assefa para niños