Buze Diriba celebrates her TCS Amsterdam Marathon win (© Spark / Vincent van den Boogaard)
Buze Diriba ran a course record of 2:16:12 and Lemi Berhanu threatened the men’s mark by running 2:03:33 to win at the TCS Amsterdam Marathon, a World Athletics Platinum Label road race, on Sunday (18).
Racing in wet conditions, both clocked impressive negative splits to achieve big PBs. Ethiopia’s Diriba improved on her previous best of 2:19:34 to break the course record and Dutch all-comers' record of 2:16:52 set by Yalemzerf Yehualaw in 2024, while her compatriot Berhanu, the 2016 Boston Marathon champion, continued his resurgence by taking a minute off his PB set in January, missing the course record by just three seconds.
Diriba was followed by defending champion Aynalem Desta, who ran a PB of 2:17:06, while Meseret Belete completed an Ethiopian top three in 2:18:06, also a PB.
Kenya’s Nicholas Kipkorir, who claimed world half marathon silver in Copenhagen last month, chased Berhanu over the finish line to secure another runner-up finish in a big PB of 2:03:39, while his Kenyan compatriot Patrick Mosin was third in a PB of 2:03:58 as the top eight all dipped under 2:05.
Diriba and Desta were always to the fore in the women’s race and they were joined by Mestawut Fikir and Belete as the halfway point was reached in 1:08:34.
They hit the 30-kilometre mark in 1:37:23 before Fikir was dropped, losing 17 seconds on the leaders over the next kilometre.
Desta and Diriba forged on, creating a gap on Belete, and then Diriba kicked. She was half a minute ahead by 40km and increased that advantage to almost a minute by the finish.
Diriba has now broken 2:20 in three marathons during the past 12 months – she ran her previous best of 2:19:34 to win in Frankfurt last October before clocking 2:19:54 to place second in Daegu in February. By running 2:16:12 in Amsterdam, the 32-year-old moved to 16th on the world all-time list.
Behind the top three, Tiringo Mulu finished fourth in 2:20:36 and Fikir was fifth in 2:21:32.
The men’s race also set off outside course record pace, but a strong finish took Berhanu to within three seconds of the mark set by Geofry Toroitich Kipchumba last year.
Lemi Berhanu wins the TCS Amsterdam Marathon (© Getty Images)
A large lead group remained together at halfway, headed by the pacemakers in 1:02:24. Kipchumba, defending his title, was eight seconds back at that point and he dropped out a short while later.
Kenya’s Justus Kangogo took control as the pacemakers stepped aside at the 30-kilometre mark, reached in 1:28:48. The pack stretched out as he picked up the pace, reaching the 35-kilometre checkpoint in 1:43:23, joined at the front by Mosin, Kipkorir, and Jonathan Korir, with Berhanu a stride back.
A big move was made as they approached the Vondelpark, as Kipkorir kicked and Berhanu went with him, leaving their rivals behind. They were shoulder to shoulder as they hit the 40-kilometre mark in 1:57:25, 11 seconds ahead of Mosin.
Then Berhanu edged ahead and Kipkorir could not respond, looking over his shoulder as he ran in second place.
Berhanu was well clear as he returned to the Olympic Stadium for the final stretch, striding over the finish line in 2:03:33 to secure a six-second victory. In only his second marathon, Kipkorir improved on the 2:06:07 he ran on his debut in Boston in April to secure the runner-up spot, while Mosin was third, another 19 seconds back.
Kalipus Lomwai was fourth (2:04:08), Sila Kiptoo fifth (2:04:12) and Kangogo sixth (2:04:24). Korir and Isaia Kipkoech Lasoi, the latter making his marathon debut, also finished inside 2:05. It is only the third race in history in which eight men have broken the 2:05 mark.
Leading results
Women
1 Buze Diriba (ETH) 2:16:12
2 Aynalem Desta (ETH) 2:17:06
3 Meseret Belete (ETH) 2:18:06
4 Tiringo Mulu (ETH) 2:20:36
5 Mestawut Fikir (ETH) 2:21:32
6 Girmawit Gebrzihair (ETH) 2:22:28
7 Rebecca Chepkwemoi (KEN) 2:22:48
8 Desi Jisa Mokonin (BRN) 2:22:49
9 Selamawit Teferi (ISR) 2:22:58
10 Kena Girma (ETH) 2:24:28
Men
1 Lemi Berhanu (ETH) 2:03:33
2 Nicholas Kipkorir (KEN) 2:03:39
3 Patrick Mosin (KEN) 2:03:58
4 Kalipus Lomwai (KEN) 2:04:09
5 Sila Kiptoo (KEN) 2:04:13
6 Justus Kangogo (KEN) 2:04:24
7 Jonathan Korir (KEN) 2:04:53
8 Isaia Kipkoech Lasoi (KEN) 2:04:57
9 Yohei Ikeda (JPN) 2:05:16
10 Yihunilign Adane (ETH) 2:05:16
