Berlin witnessed a historic moment at the recent half marathon event, where Amanal Petros, a 29-year-old athlete representing Hannover 96, became the first German runner to complete the distance in under one hour. Amid challenging windy conditions in the heart of the city, Petros finished the 21.1-kilometer race with an impressive time of 59 minutes and 31 seconds, surpassing his own previous record of 1 hour, 0 minutes, and 9 seconds set in Valencia back in October 2021 by a margin of 38 seconds. In a strong performance, Richard Ringer, a former marathon European champion, secured the fourth position with a personal best time of 1 hour, 0 minutes, and 51 seconds. The race was ultimately won by Ethiopia's Gemechu Dida Diriba, who crossed the finish line in an astonishing 58 minutes and 43 seconds. On the women's side, Gesa Krause, a two-time European champion in the steeplechase, finished in 11th place with a time of 1 hour, 10 minutes, and 2 seconds. Despite narrowly missing out on a top-ten finish, Krause expressed satisfaction with her performance, describing it as a valuable experience on the longer distance. The 32-year-old athlete now plans to refocus on her specialty event as she gears up for the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo scheduled for September. Esther Pfeiffer from Düsseldorf also delivered a commendable performance, finishing seventh in a personal best time of 1 hour, 9 minutes, and 15 seconds, as the Ethiopian runner Fotyen Tesfay Haiylu claimed victory in the women's category with a time of 1 hour and 3 minutes and 35 seconds. This half marathon event not only highlighted the remarkable athleticism of the participants but also marked a significant milestone in German long-distance running, with Petros's achievement setting a new benchmark for future athletes.