Getachew wins Amsterdam Marathon, Ayana sets new women’s course record

The fastest Dutchman Abdi Nageeye was missing in the capital. The Olympic silver winner prepares for the New York Marathon. After the starting gun was given by Mayor Femke Halsema at nine o’clock, as expected, a large leading group of African athletes arose. In the second group were Dutch champion Khalid Choukoud and Zaankanter Richard Douma.

At the crossing of Churchillaan at ten kilometers, the leading group recorded a time of 29 minutes and eleven seconds. With that, they were on track to improve the course record that Tamirat Tola set last year. The Ethiopian then clocked a finishing time of 2.03.39. Halfway through, the leading group with all favorites had an advantageous margin of 16 seconds on that course record.

Douma lost

The group Choukoud-Douma clocked after 21.1 kilometers and a time of 1.04.57. That was slower than Choukoud had announced beforehand. After just 28 kilometers, Douma, busy with his second marathon, had to let the group go. He got out shortly after. After the thirty kilometer mark, the last two hares left the leading group, after which the runners lost ground. The course record turned out to be too high. The leading group thinned out from ten to five runners in the Vondelpark, after which Getachew also released the other competitors in the last kilometers, so that he crossed the line solo.

Heemstede native Lucas Nieuweboer took silver at the Dutch National Championships. Nieuweboer ran his first marathon in Amsterdam in a time of 2.15.31. The bronze went to Remy Tielsema who smashed his personal best by more than seven minutes: 2.16.05.

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Impressive debut

In the women’s race, Almaz Ayana made a strong debut in the marathon. The Ethiopian was the first woman to finish in 2.17.22. With this she crossed the Angela Tanui (2.17.57) course record from last year’s books. She is the fastest marathon debutant of all time. Second place went to Genzebe Dibaba.

Leonie Balter was the first Dutch (2.37.41) to receive the gold medal at this National Championship. The silver went to Jacelyn Gruppen, while Eva van Zoonen from Bakkum took the bronze.