Gold Standard

It began on a Sunday morning in September 2023. Tigst Assefa stood on the starting line of the Berlin Marathon motivated by a dream. The 27-year-old distance runner from Ethiopia had entered this race, only her third marathon, fixated on chasing the notable benchmark of 2 hours, 14 minutes, and 4 seconds. Could she reset the women’s marathon world record?

With her feet planted into pristine white Adidas “super shoes,” she charged over the first official timing pad, entering the running vortex and thus beginning the pilgrimage on the flat asphalt course, reputed as the fastest in the world.

The early stages unfolded like most major marathons—with a large pack of contenders mirroring each other’s stride. But less than halfway into the race, Assefa began to take command. Flanked by a few male pacemakers, she quickened her cadence and peeled away from the front pack.

No one else could keep up.

The gap would swell to six minutes by the time her 5-foot-6, 117-pound body broke through the finish line tape. Arms spread wide, she fell to her knees and smiled. She had clocked a blistering 2 hours, 11 minutes, and 53 seconds, a historical victory—and a world record by two minutes. Widely described as an astonishing feat, Assefa humbly attributed her achievement to “the result of hard work” over the past year.

But the making of this record-breaking champion began more than two decades ago in the Central Highlands of Ethiopia. Assefa was born nearly 7,900 feet above sea level in the rural town Holeta, on the outskirts of the country’s capital Addis Ababa. There, life was about survival, often stripped of basic needs. Even today, it’s not uncommon for residents to struggle to get food. Piped water is in limited supply. And like other parts of Ethiopia, the town continues to make progress in controlling the HIV/AIDS epidemic.  

While little is publicly known about Assefa’s upbringing and personal life, the few details begin to fill in her story. The youngest of six siblings. A member of the Oromo, the largest ethnic group in Ethiopia. Fluent in Amharic and Oromo. Nicknamed “Mitu.”

Assefa’s lungs were already accustomed to negotiating with the thin air in the Highlands by the time she began running in grade school. At first, the activity was simply a playful part of gym class, an innocent part of youth. But after a teacher noticed her natural cadence and swift feet, Assefa began her foray into racing, initially as a sprinter specializing in the 200- and 400-meters events. She was a phenom.

Her gifted speed brought her to Ethiopia’s senior national championships at the age of 12, where she competed against the country’s most seasoned runners. Assefa’s one-lap performance earned her a bronze medal. Thereafter, as she upgraded to distances beyond 400 meters, she became used to not only competing with the best, but becoming one of them by the time she arrived at her true calling: the marathon.  

Assefa debuted in the event at the 2022 Riyadh Marathon in Saudi Arabia, finishing seventh overall with a respectable time of 2 hours and 34 minutes (though in the world of elite marathoning, it is considered underperforming, especially by Ethiopian standards). Just six months later, Assefa returned to the starting line, this time at the Berlin Marathon. She did more than prove she could keep up. Assefa bested her previous marathon performance by 19 minutes, flashing 2:15:37 on the clock, which was the third-fastest women’s marathon mark in history at the time.

While Assefa has cemented her name in history as the second-fastest woman in the sport, she continues to write her story. Not only is Assefa having a moment, she is the moment. Could the best be yet to come? While she can’t quite answer that, she did speak to Mental Athletic about what has influenced her on the road to get to and remain on top.

Her gifted speed brought her to Ethiopia’s senior national championships at the age of 12, where she competed against the country’s most seasoned runners. Assefa’s one-lap performance earned her a bronze medal. Thereafter, as she upgraded to distances beyond 400 meters, she became used to not only competing with the best, but becoming one of them by the time she arrived at her true calling: the marathon.  

Sarah Gearhart: You joined a running club as a teen, and that opportunity gave you access to a television, which opened a new world by exposing you to world-class racing beyond Ethiopia. What’s an early memory from watching running competitions on T.V., and how did this influence you to chase an elite running career?

Tigst Assefa: The day Tiki Gelana won [the women’s marathon] at the 2012 London Olympics is etched in my mind. I think that if anyone does not give up hope, an athlete can achieve what she or he wants. That has made significant contributions to the level I am at today.

SG: Your hometown Holeta is known for high levels of poverty, disease, poor education, and unemployment—an environment that can make it challenging to thrive as a citizen, let alone as an athlete. What did living here teach you about how to be resilient?

TA: My mother grew up in that community. She was a single mom and raised six children. For me to become a strong athlete, [my mother] has been such a motivation. That [resilience] was a great lesson to take from her.

SG: You were just 12 years old on the starting line with senior elites at the Ethiopian Athletics Championships. How did measuring yourself at such a young age against some of the fastest runners in the world influence your mental approach to running?

TA: Being at that age and on the starting line with senior athletes was very helpful. It was motivational because it helped me to dream to get to their level.

SG: Olympic and world champion Tirunesh Dibaba is one of your greatest role models. What do you admire about her on and off the track, and what about Dibaba has influenced your own development into one of the greatest distance runners of all time?

TA: Tirunesh Dibaba is my role model for many reasons. I admire her calmness and behavior off of the track. But also on the track I admire her for not giving up and for her great strength.

SG: Ethiopia has a storied reputation as being a country that produces some of the most successful track and distance runners in history. Expectations to perform are always high. What helps you navigate the pressure to stay at the top?

TA: Instead of being stressed or feeling pressure, the fact that Ethiopia has a storied reputation as producing the most successful runners in history actually motivates me to become more successful and strong so I can continue to carry on this greatness.

SG: Success can be interpreted in many ways. For some people, it’s health, for others it’s financial wealth, or simply living a balanced life. What is success by your terms?

TA: For me becoming successful means achieving what I had in my mind, and doing greatly in what I plan to do.