Asefa's injury did not occur in the final two kilometres. According to her agent,Approximately from31 kilometres she began to experience pain in her right foot and around her Achilles tendon.

But at that time, her goal was very clear——to target the women's marathon world record.

The first10 kilometres, she ran30 minutes48 seconds; the half marathon1 hours04 minutes57 seconds;30 kilometres1 hours32 minutes19seconds.

Even after31 kilometres the pain began, she still did not noticeably drop out of her original rhythm. By35kilometres or so, she was still in contention to challenge2 hours09 minutes56 seconds from the world-record position.

For a professional athlete, this is probably the hardest decision to make during a race.You know something is wrong with your body, but the finish line isn't far; you also know you're running a race you might only get one chance at in your professional career.

Stopping means voluntarily giving up the world record. Continuing means you don't know how long your body will hold up or what consequences it will bring.

Despite that, Assefa resolutely chose the latter. 40km,2 hours03 minutes00 seconds. At that point only2 km, and she was still roughly ahead of the average pace required to break the world record by about10 seconds.

In other words, when Assefa reached40 km, the world record hadn't truly slipped away from her.What really fell apart were the next 2 km.

The pain began to rapidly worsen.

31 km, pain began to appear; the injury then steadily worsened. Approaching40 At km, the situation had already clearly worsened; as she continued through the final two kilometres, her Achilles tendon ultimately ruptured completely.

The broadcast footage actually makes the process very clear. Asefa’s previously steady running form suddenly vanished and her right leg began to severely limp. She could no longer perform a normal push-off with it like she could with her left; she could only barely plant it and then rely on the other leg to propel her body forward.

But she didn’t stop. In the final2.195 km, Asefa covered roughly8 minutes04 seconds. If she wanted to run under2 hours09 minutes56 seconds, she would have needed to complete that stretch in about6 minutes56 seconds.

That one minute was thus lost in Berlin’s final two kilometres. Her final time was recorded as 2 hours11 minutes04 seconds.

The world record did not materialize, but she nonetheless improved the Berlin Marathon course record she held——compared with2023 the year’s2 hours11 minutes53 seconds faster.49 seconds, and at the same time posted the third-fastest time in women's marathon history.

Looking back at this now,2 hours11 minutes04 seconds, it can no longer be regarded as an ordinary winning time.She ran that while her right leg had almost lost its ability to push off properly, even to walk.

After crossing the finish line, Asefa quickly collapsed and was thereafter unable to move normally. She did not attend the women's award ceremony or the post-race press conference, instead going straight for medical examination.

At first people thought it was a cramp. Then reports said an Achilles injury. Later there was speculation of a partial tear. Only after examination and surgery was the final answer confirmed:Complete rupture.

Asefa subsequently, withadidas assistance, traveled to Bavaria, Germanyto undergo surgery. Next, she will enter a long recovery phase.

Her agent currently estimates she will miss competition for at least6 to7 months.But there is an easily overlooked issue:

6 to7 Being able to return to competition after months does not necessarily mean6 to7 that months later she can once again become that runner2 hours11 minutes, even Asefa capable of challenging the world record.

The agent has already mentioned2027 the year4 month London Marathon. If recovery goes smoothly, in theory it's not entirely impossible to make it.But at this stage, it can only be regarded as a relatively optimistic target.

Because the biggest unknown now is no longer whether the wound will heal, but whether, after healing, this Achilles tendon can once again withstand the training and racing load of a world-class marathoner.

Asefa's current Achilles problem actually showed signs when she was young.

At that time she originally specialized in800 meters; later affected by Achilles injuries, she gradually left middle-distance events and eventually turned to road running.That change, in turn, opened a different professional path.

2022 At the year Berlin Marathon, she ran2 hours15 minutes37 seconds.

A year later, she ran here again2 hours11 minutes53 seconds, once significantly improved the women's marathon world record.

Since then, Asefa has become one of the most important drivers of the women's marathon's entry into the2 hours10 and minutes era.

And three years later, again in Berlin, the Achilles tendon reappeared at a turning point in her career.But this time it was more severe.

Originally, this Berlin Marathon was supposed to be the milestone where she'd launch an assault on2 hours09 minutes56 and seconds to challenge and take the top spot. At 40kilometres, she still even had a chance. But the final two kilometres of the race changed everything.

2 hours11 minutes04 and seconds that might originally have been merely another mark in Asefa's continued assault on the limits of the women's marathon may now very likely become the dividing line between the two phases of her career.

In the months ahead, what she faces is not how to shave a few more seconds off the world record, but relearning to bear weight, to walk again, to start running again, and to readapt to training.

As for when she can line up at the start again, no one can give a definitive answer right now.

2027 That year's London can of course be a target. But before that, the first race Asefa must complete is another long race without a finish-line clock.Starting from a completely ruptured Achilles tendon, she has to get everything back.