Two seconds can cast a remarkably long shadow.
Kenenisa Bekele knows that better than most. In 2019, the Ethiopian reached the finish of the Berlin Marathon in 2:01:41, missing Eliud Kipchoge’s world record by the smallest margin imaginable after more than 42 kilometres of racing.
Seven years later, Bekele is heading back to the same streets. Organisers have confirmed that the 44 year old will contest the Berlin Marathon on Sunday, September 27th, adding one of distance running’s greatest names to the field just nine days before the race.
It will be his first competitive appearance of 2026 and his first marathon start since he failed to finish in New York last November. His speed, form and ambitions are all uncertain. His history in Berlin is anything but.
Two Seconds From a Unique Place in History
Bekele’s 2019 performance remains one of the great near misses in marathon running.
He arrived in Berlin holding the world records for 5,000m and 10,000m, marks that had survived since 2004 and 2005. Victory was secured, but the clock stopped at 2:01:41, two seconds outside Kipchoge’s marathon record of 2:01:39.
Had Bekele found those two seconds, he would have held the world records for 5,000m, 10,000m and the marathon at the same time. No athlete has achieved that combination.
It was not even his first narrow escape in the German capital. Bekele won Berlin in 2016 in 2:03:03, finishing only six seconds outside Dennis Kimetto’s then world record.
Across those two victories, Bekele covered more than 84 kilometres and missed two world records by a combined total of eight seconds.
His relationship with Berlin has never been tidy, however. He failed to finish in 2017 and returned in 2021 to place third in 2:06:47. This month’s race will be his fifth attempt on the course.
Recent Form Offers Few Answers
Predicting what Bekele can produce on September 27th is difficult because there is so little recent evidence.
His last completed marathon came at the Paris Olympics in August 2024, where he finished 39th in 2:12:24. He had intended to return to Berlin in 2025 but did not make the start, with his preparation falling short of what was required.
Bekele instead appeared at the New York City Marathon that November. He remained with the group behind the leaders through halfway but later dropped out, bringing his race to an early conclusion.
He has not competed at all during 2026. Berlin will therefore ask him to move directly from a lengthy absence into one of the fastest and most demanding marathons in the world.
An athlete’s personal best can remain on a start list long after the legs that produced it have changed. Bekele’s 2:01:41 is the fastest time held by anyone in the men’s field, but it was recorded seven years ago. It makes him the quickest man on paper, not necessarily the favourite on the road.
London Provided a Powerful Reminder
Writing Bekele off on the basis of age has already proved foolish once.
At the 2024 London Marathon, aged 41, he finished second in 2:04:15. He was only 14 seconds behind winner Alexander Mutiso Munyao and recorded the third fastest marathon of his career, almost a decade after making his debut over the distance.
That performance earned Bekele selection for his first Olympic marathon. It also showed that, on the right morning, he could still compete with athletes who had grown up watching him rule the track and cross country.
The question for Berlin is not simply how fast a 44 year old can run. It is how much of that London form remains after two years containing an Olympic disappointment, a missed Berlin appearance, a withdrawal in New York and no racing at all this season.
A Field Changed by Sawe’s Withdrawal
Bekele joins a men’s race that lost its principal attraction when Sabastian Sawe withdrew through injury in August.
Sawe had been due to defend his title after running 1:59:30 in London in April. His absence leaves Berlin without the world record holder and opens the race to a less predictable contest.
Bekele is not short of capable opposition. Ethiopia’s Getaneh Molla has run 2:03:34, while Shura Kitata improved his best to 2:03:59 earlier this year. Olympic 10,000m champion Selemon Barega is also entered with a marathon best of 2:05:00.
Those athletes bring more recent evidence than Bekele. None brings his history with this particular finish line.
Another Berlin Morning for One of the Greats
Bekele’s place among the finest distance runners in history was secured long before he moved to the marathon.
He won three Olympic titles on the track, claimed five world titles across 5,000m and 10,000m and collected 11 individual world cross country crowns. His world records at 5,000m and 10,000m both stood for roughly 15 years.
The marathon has given him fewer guarantees. Brilliant victories have been mixed with injuries, withdrawals and races that never developed as expected. Berlin has supplied some of his greatest road performances and some of his sharpest frustrations.
There is no need to present this return as a farewell. Bekele has made no such announcement. Nor does his reputation automatically place him in contention for victory.
What makes the appearance compelling is the uncertainty. Berlin is where Bekele came within two seconds of completing a collection of world records that no runner has ever owned. At 44, after almost a year away from competition, he is going back to find out what remains.
