Frankfurt Marathon 2026: Dinki and Yimer Win as Blanka Dörfel Debuts in 2:20:46
The 2026 Frankfurt Marathon was won on Sunday by Ethiopians Jirata Dinki, in 2:05:26, and Zeineba Yimer, in 2:19:45. For the organisers, the standout run of the day came from Germany’s Blanka Dörfel: second in her first marathon, in 2:20:46. According to the race’s press release, that is the second fastest time ever by a German woman and makes her the eighth fastest European in history. The 43rd edition was run in rain and wind for much of the course and set a new participation record, with 19,720 entrants from 128 nations.
Yimer wins the women’s race and Dörfel stuns on debut
Yimer, 28, was the favourite and led from the start, at first alongside her compatriot Siranesh Yirga. Yirga could not hold the pace after 30 km, and Yimer ran on alone to the finish, although the final kilometres were a fight. Her 2:19:45 is the sixth fastest women’s time in Frankfurt Marathon history. She said afterwards that the rain had slowed her down.
Dörfel, 24, started in a group of ten and broke away with an easy stride. She passed halfway in 1:10:29, dropped Betsy Saina of the USA and Marion Kibor of Kenya, and closed steadily on the two leaders. She moved into second at 33 km and held it to the line. For a while it looked as if she might break 2:20. Ethiopia’s Beriha Gebreslasie took third in 2:22:46.
No watch and a negative split
On the official splits, Dörfel ran 1:10:29 for the first half and 1:10:17 for the second, so she covered the second half 12 seconds faster, a negative split in her first marathon on a wet course. She explained that she raced without a watch, as she trains, going by feel, and only learned how fast she had run when she saw the clock inside the Festhalle. She also said the last five kilometres were very hard.
Running by feel worked for an elite athlete who knows her body well. Most recreational runners do better with target paces, which you can work out with the training pace calculator. Her pacing is still a good model: start controlled and finish strong, as our negative split guide explains. It is also the most common way to avoid hitting the wall.
Dinki wins the men’s race, Petros takes second
The men went out at a pace aimed at the German record. Amanal Petros, the European champion, world championships runner-up and record holder at 2:04:03, and Samuel Fitwi both wanted to break it. The weather soon ruled that out: the lead group passed 10 km in 29:55 and halfway in 1:03:01.
About ten kilometres from the finish, Petros and Kenya’s Benard Biwott, the 2024 winner, lifted the pace and opened a small gap. Fitwi dropped back with muscle problems, and Richard Ringer, European champion in 2022, tried to bridge across but could not. Jirata Dinki, 24, who started with a best of 2:08:18, did close the gap and joined the leaders at around 37 km.
Petros attacked again and dropped Biwott, but Dinki came back and took the initiative. With about two kilometres left, Petros had to let him go. Dinki won in 2:05:26 in his third marathon, the biggest win of his career according to the organisers. Petros was second in 2:05:46, the fastest time ever by a German in the history of the Frankfurt Marathon. Biwott took third in 2:06:23, Ringer fifth in 2:07:07 and Fitwi seventh in 2:08:57.
The first German on the men’s podium in over 25 years
According to the organisers, Petros is the first German man on the Frankfurt podium for more than 25 years. He came into the race two and a half months after a gruelling European Championships marathon and admitted that he attacked too early and that the record was never on in those conditions.
This was also Jo Schindler’s last Frankfurt Marathon as race director after 25 years. He stays on as an adviser. Holger Kranz takes over, and the event has a new strategic partner in London Marathon Events, the company behind the London Marathon.
2026 Frankfurt Marathon results
| Place | Men | Time | Women | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jirata Dinki (ETH) | 2:05:26 | Zeineba Yimer (ETH) | 2:19:45 |
| 2 | Amanal Petros (GER) | 2:05:46 | Blanka Dörfel (GER) | 2:20:46 |
| 3 | Benard Biwott (KEN) | 2:06:23 | Beriha Gebreslasie (ETH) | 2:22:46 |
Full results are on the official Frankfurt Marathon website.
What the Frankfurt Marathon offers a recreational runner
The 2026 race started at 10:00 on the Friedrich-Ebert-Anlage on a flat city course. The finish is inside the Festhalle, where runners end on a red carpet under spotlights in front of the crowd. The organisers point to the flat profile, the atmosphere and the value for money of the entry fee.
This year it fell one week after Amsterdam, whose race report you can read in Amsterdam Marathon 2026. Germany’s other big marathon is covered in our Berlin Marathon guide. To prepare for either, the marathon training plan sets out the weeks and the race time predictor gives you a target based on your recent times. Registration for the 2027 Frankfurt Marathon is already listed on the official site.
All figures come from the official Frankfurt Marathon press release of 25 October 2026 and the race information on its website.
Frequently asked questions
Who won the 2026 Frankfurt Marathon?
Jirata Dinki in the men’s race, in 2:05:26, and Zeineba Yimer in the women’s race, in 2:19:45. Both are Ethiopian.
What time did Blanka Dörfel run on her debut?
2:20:46, finishing second. According to the organisers, it is the second fastest marathon by a German woman and the eighth fastest by a European.
How many runners took part in the Frankfurt Marathon?
The organisers counted 19,720 entrants from 128 nations, a race record.
Why was there no German record?
Petros and Fitwi set out to beat Petros’s 2:04:03, but rain and wind made it impossible. Petros finished second in 2:05:46.
Photos: Victah Sailer for the Mainova Frankfurt Marathon, provided by the organisers to accompany their press release.
Choose well, run better.
