German marathon runner Amanal Petros at the World Athletics Championships Tokyo 25 (© Getty Images)
Germany’s Amanal Petros has entered 2026 driven by one clear ambition: unlocking his full potential to run even faster, one stride at a time.
“I see myself in a very good starting position. I feel very good and know that I can run even faster, provided I stay healthy and injury-free,” he said.
That belief is built on the momentum of a 2025 season he describes as “very successful”, one that earned him the title of ‘Läufer des Jahres’ – “Runner of the Year” in Germany.
And why not?
Amanal Petros in the marathon at the Olympics in 2021 (© Getty Images)
Petros does not like looking back, but 2025 is impossible to ignore.
The 30-year-old claimed marathon silver at the World Championships in Tokyo. Three months later in Valencia, he set a German record of 2:04:03, moving to third on the European all-time list.
“It was a huge relief for me because it was a difficult challenge, especially the transition from the World Championships to the Valencia Marathon,” he said.
“I didn't have much time to recover... it wasn't easy to fly to Kenya without sufficient rest, continue training there, and then run the Valencia Marathon.”
Nevertheless, the year unfolded as planned – Barcelona, Berlin, London, Tokyo and Valencia.
“I did it. That's why I was so happy. I was able to achieve this success.”
That form has carried into 2026. Last week, Petros set a German half marathon record of 59:22 in Berlin – a promising tune-up ahead of the London Marathon on 26 April.
He credits his coaches, training group, family, friends, the German Athletics Federation and his employers.
His training partners in Iten marked his achievements with a celebration.
“I'm thankful for them,” Petros said. “They are like family. Without them, I wouldn't have reached this goal.”
A race remembered
Petros jokes that he lost the world title in Tokyo when, just 10 metres from the finish, he thought about the Lamborghini he had promised the German team head coach.
“I remembered how expensive a Lamborghini is, I decided not to win,” he joked.
Instead, he believes a glance back cost him the gold.
“That takes a lot of energy and some seconds out of me. Running is not easy. We athletes are not machines,” he said.
It was an unusual lapse.
“Even in training, when I am at the front I don’t look back. I was so mad at myself. I was sad. As a professional athlete, I have to accept it.”
His coach, Benz Franke, offered perspective.
“He is not a loser, he is the winner of the silver medal,” he said. “Germany has only won one medal in the men’s marathon at the World Championships before, so Amanal won the best medal at the World Championships for a German marathon runner.”
Alphonce Simbu wins the marathon from Amanal Petros at the World Athletics Championships Tokyo 25 (© Getty Images)
Petros’ frustration gave way to perspective. A top-eight finish had been the plan.
“It's not easy to say I’m proud of myself. I’m happy that I came back with the silver medal,” he said. “Especially for my training partners in Kenya and my coach.
“I’m going to show my mom. No one can take it away from me. I will never forget this one. I will give it to my children.”
Franke and Kenyan coach William Kosgei helped shape that performance.
“I suggested that he run without a watch; the time and pace are irrelevant,” Franke said. “He concentrated on staying hydrated, staying cool.”
“According to the training and performance, he was in good shape, so we were expecting something good,” added Kosgei.
Petros’ shape was in the green zone from four months of Renato Canova's intense training regime, covering 220km per week. It incorporated gym, hill sprints, long runs, long speed and track sessions. On 35-40km long runs, he hit 3:05-3:10/km effortlessly.
“He is very disciplined and focused; there is no single day in our training plan he has missed,” Kosgei said.
Petros knew at 32km he could contend for a medal. Just 0.03 separated him from Alphonce Simbu at the finish.
“It was one of the best marathon finishes we've ever had,” said Petros. “It was absolutely beautiful.”
Even so, Petros says that silver medal ranks only second among his achievements.
A journey shaped by resilience
Petros is of Eritrean descent. His family fled to Ethiopia when he was two, and his mother still lives there. At 16, he left again, fleeing political unrest for Germany.
“Politics is not easy. There is war and people dying without a reason,” he said. “It makes me scared and I didn't want to see that.”
In Germany, he found stability.
“I didn't have anything when I moved, and I can’t see my mom every day, which makes me very sad,” he said. “But the German people changed my life; they are my family.”
Finding the sport
As a child, Petros played multiple sports and ran long distances to school.
“I love sport generally. I was running like 6km to school barefoot sometimes and then back home – 12km.”
At a refugee camp in Espelkamp, football helped him integrate.
“My plan was to learn the language, the mentality, culture and the landscape,” he said.
But his running stood out more than his football. He discovered athletics at a birthday party where most guests were athletes.
“There was no reason to look back, I had to think of the future.”
Amanal Petros at the 2018 European Championships (© Getty Images)
At 17, he ran his first 10km in 37 minutes.
“If I tell people here (Iten) they would be laughing at me,” he said. “It gave me a lot of energy and motivation.”
The prize was a poker which, he says, remains his greatest achievement.
“That small thing brought me to this level, and that one is at the top.”
Life in Iten
After training in several countries, Petros moved to Iten in 2019.
“I like structure here,” he said. “It's training, eating and sleeping, and tomorrow is the same.”
Under Kosgei, alongside a strong training group, he has embraced high-volume work.
“I like to feel the pain; it is very important for a marathon,” he said.
“We have a very tough one in the morning and another in the afternoon,” Kosgei said. “He completes everything; only about four athletes do.”
Training in groups also sharpens race skills.
“I learn how to move, how to take a drink,” Petros said. “You have to try to play a game.”
Beyond training, Iten offers something else.
“Iten is not only the Home of Champions, it’s also the home of freedom.”
Amanal Petros at the 2023 Berlin Marathon (© Getty Images)
As he settles into 2026, Petros’ ambitions extend beyond performance.
“All over the world, people are dying. It’s terrible to see children suffering,” he said. “I wish that one day such things would no longer exist.”
For Petros, the goal is simple: keep moving forward – running faster and pushing limits, one stride at a time.
Michelle Katami for World Athletics
