Kenyan long-distance star Rosemary Wanjiru is set to challenge for victory at the 2025 Berlin Marathon, marking her second attempt on the fast German course.
The 2023 Tokyo Marathon champion, who placed second in her Berlin debut, will start among the favorites in Sunday’s race (Sept. 21). For Wanjiru, a win in Berlin would elevate her standing among Kenya’s marathon greats.
“This will be my second time running here in Berlin,” Wanjiru told reporters on Thursday. “My marathon journey started here, and I ran a good time… So I know the course very well.”
Wanjiru first turned her full attention to road running in 2022, following the disappointment of missing the Tokyo 2020 Olympics as a 5000m runner. Her debut marathon in Berlin that year was impressive, clocking 2:18:00, a time faster than the previous course record of 2:18:11. She finished runner-up to Ethiopia’s Tigist Assefa, who won with a blistering 2:15:37.
Now entering her fifth career marathon, Wanjiru says years of focused training — despite injuries — have prepared her for another major breakthrough.
Victory in Berlin would not only be a personal milestone but also solidify her status as one of Kenya’s emerging marathon icons.
