Tigst Assefa began her career as an 800m runner, competing in Rio 2016 for her country at a young age. Despite not advancing past the qualifying rounds, the experience gained was valuable. However, an Achilles tendon injury led to a necessary transition to road running after she was unable to continue wearing spikes.
Following a two-year break to recover, Assefa made her 10k debut in Dubai in 2018, finishing in 34:35. Over the next year, she improved her time by nearly three minutes and made her half marathon debut in Valencia, Spain, running 1:08:25 by December 2019.
The global pandemic caused a further two-year pause in her training, but under the guidance of coach Gamedu Dedefo, Assefa prepared for her first marathon in March 2022. Despite not being in peak physical condition, she completed the Riyadh marathon in 2:34.01.
Six months later, at the Berlin Marathon, Assefa surprised everyone with a winning time of 2:15.37, the third fastest in history. Her coach praised her exceptional performance, noting that he had never seen a woman run like her before.
Following this incredible achievement, Assefa was hailed as the fastest woman ever. She credited her success to hard work and dedication over the past year. When asked about her chances at the upcoming Paris Olympics, Assefa remained humble, leaving the decision to the committee members, but expressed her hope to participate in the games.