The TCS Amsterdam Marathon, a prestigious World Athletics Platinum Label road race, is set to host over 45,000 runners this year, marking a notable increase in participation. Among them, a record-breaking 22,500 athletes will compete in the full marathon on Sunday, October 20. This year's event boasts an impressive line-up of elite runners in both the men's and women's fields, promising an exciting and competitive race on the classic 42.195 km course. Let's take a closer look at the elite contenders who will be aiming for victory in Amsterdam.
Ethiopia’s Yalemzerf Yehualaw is the standout athlete in the women’s field at the TCS Amsterdam Marathon on 20 October. Yehualaw’s marathon debut was nothing short of remarkable, as she won the 2022 Hamburg Marathon with a time of 2:17:23, the fastest debut time ever over the 42 km distance. Her lifetime best, 2:17:23, is only three seconds shy of the Amsterdam course record set by Almaz Ayana in 2022 (2:17:20). Yehualaw also won the 2022 London Marathon in 2:17:26 and holds the second-fastest half marathon time in history, clocking 1:03:51 in Valencia in 2021. In addition, she briefly held the world record for the 10 km with a time of 29:14 in Castellón in 2022, now the third-fastest time in history. Yehualaw’s most recent performances include fifth-place finishes at the 2023 London Marathon (2:18:53) and the World Championships in Budapest (2:26:13).
Yehualaw will be up against Kenya’s Winfridah Moseti, who has run five marathons in her career. Moseti made her marathon debut in Milan in 2021 with a time of 2:27:44. She has since improved, placing second in Frankfurt in 2023 with a personal best of 2:20:55 and running 2:18:25 for second place at the 2024 Hamburg Marathon.
Other strong contenders include Kenya’s Selly Chepyego, who finished second in Barcelona in 2023 with a PB of 2:20:03 and third in Rotterdam in 2024 (2:22:46). Ethiopia’s Haven Hailu, third in Amsterdam in 2021 with 2:20:19, Bahrain’s Desi Jisa, who ran 2:20:47 in Doha in 2023, and Ethiopia’s Etatnesh Tirusew, second in Paris in 2024 with a PB of 2:20:48, will also be in the mix.
Unfortunately, Dutch star Nienke Brinkman has withdrawn from the race due to injury.
In the men’s race, Ethiopia’s Tsegaye Getachew leads the field. Getachew returns to Amsterdam, where he won in 2022 with a personal best of 2:04:49. He has also put in strong performances at the Tokyo Marathon, finishing third in 2023 (2:05:25) and fifth in 2024 (2:06:25). He placed 16th at the 2023 World Championships in Budapest, making him a top contender in this race.
Philemon Kiplimo of Kenya is another athlete to watch. Kiplimo has a personal best of 2:04:56 from the 2023 Berlin Marathon and has shown his versatility by clocking 58:11 in the half marathon in Valencia in 2020.
Ethiopia’s Bazezew Asmare, who finished third in Amsterdam in 2022 with a time of 2:04:57, will also return, hoping to challenge for the podium again.
Maru Teferi of Israel, a double silver medalist at the European Championships in Munich (2022) and the World Championships in Budapest (2023), brings his PB of 2:06:43 from Fukuoka in 2022 to the race. He will be aiming for a strong finish in Amsterdam.
Other notable names include Kenya’s Justus Kangogo, who ran a PB of 2:05:57 in the 2023 Berlin Marathon and has a half marathon best of 59:31 from the 2017 Roma-Ostia Half Marathon, and Ethiopia’s Kebede Wami, second in Seville in 2023 with a time of 2:05:19.
The fastest Dutch athlete in the men’s field is Khalid Choukoud, who will be looking to improve on his personal best of 2:07:37, set in Valencia in 2023.