Tigst Assefa, the 29‑year‑old Ethiopian, ran the 2024 Berlin Marathon in 2:11:04, which is the third‑fastest time ever recorded for a woman. She was on pace to challenge the world record until the last kilometres.

Around the 31 km point she felt a sharp pain and later learned she had a complete rupture of her right Achilles tendon. Despite the injury she kept moving and covered the final two kilometres without a functional tendon.

The Achilles tendon connects the calf muscles to the heel and acts like a spring that pushes the foot forward with each stride. Sports physiotherapist Zoe Russell explained that the tendon “transfers your load to propel you forward” and that a rupture is usually catastrophic, stopping most athletes.

Assefa was wearing Adidas’ new carbon‑plate “super shoes”. The built‑in carbon plate provides a spring‑like rebound that can take some of the load normally handled by the Achilles. Russell suggested that the plate “allows you to transfer your load a bit easier”, helping Assefa stay in motion.

Her representative Gianni Demadonna said she “completely destroyed the tendon” but still managed to finish the race. Within 24 hours she was flown to Munich, where she underwent “very complex surgery”, as confirmed by her coach Gemedu Dedifo.

The episode shows how elite footwear can partially compensate for a severe injury, but it also highlights that a ruptured Achilles still requires immediate medical care and a long recovery before an athlete can run again.