Geofry Toroitich Kipchumba wins the TCS Amsterdam Marathon (© Organisers)
Geofry Toroitich Kipchumba and Aynalem Desta will return to the TCS Amsterdam Marathon to defend their titles at the World Athletics Platinum Label road race on Sunday (18).
Both Kenya’s Kipchumba and Ethiopia’s Desta will want to build on the respective PBs of 2:03:30 and 2:17:37 they set when winning in the Dutch capital last year – Kipchumba breaking the course record and Desta running the third-fastest time ever achieved in Amsterdam.
They both again face some strong competition. Kipchumba is one of 11 men on the entry list to have broken 2:05, while Desta is joined by three of her compatriots who have also run under 2:20.
After setting his Dutch all-comers' record to win in Amsterdam, Kipchumba impressed again as he finished a close second at the Tokyo Marathon in March. In only the third marathon of his career so far, he missed his PB by just seven seconds and was denied after a sprint finish as he matched the time achieved by winner Tadese Takele.
Ethiopia’s Tsegaye Getachew was runner-up to Kipchumba in Amsterdam last year and after two wins – in 2022 and 2024 – he returns again, looking to regain the title. He went close to the PB of 2:04:18 he set in Amsterdam a year ago when running 2:04:32 to finish fourth in Seoul in March.
His compatriot Haymanot Alew is also among the leading contenders. Alew is second quickest on the entry list with a PB just one second off Kipchumba’s – that time securing him a third-place finish in the Berlin Marathon in 2024. More recently, Alew ran his second-quickest marathon of 2:05:19 to finish fifth in Rotterdam in April and he now returns to race on Dutch soil again.
Israel’s Maru Teferi, the 2023 world silver medallist, set his national record of 2:04:44 in Valencia in 2024 and will be on the hunt for another podium place after finishing third in Amsterdam in 2:05:42 that same year.
Others lining up with PBs under 2:05 include Uganda’s 2023 world fifth-place finisher Stephen Kissa, contesting his first race of the year, plus Justus Kipkorir Limo, who ran 2:04:55 in Seville in February, and Lemi Berhanu, the 2016 Boston Marathon winner who won in Prague in 2:05:14 last year.
The entry list also stars Nicholas Kipkorir, the world half marathon silver medallist in Copenhagen last month who races his second marathon after clocking 2:06:07 in Boston in April, plus 2015 world champion Ghirmay Ghebreslassie, Barcelona Marathon runner-up Patrick Mosin and Isaia Kipkoech Lasoi who makes his marathon debut after winning the Antrim Coast Half Marathon in 58:26 in August.
Desta came within 45 seconds of the course record of 2:16:52 set by Yalemzerf Yehualaw in 2024 when she improved her PB by more than four minutes to win in Amsterdam last year. A similar time might be needed if she is to retain her title as she faces her compatriots Meseret Belete and Mestawut Fikir, who have also broken 2:19, as well as 2:19:34 runner Buze Diriba.
While Desta, who finished third in the Nagoya Women's Marathon in 2:22:37 in March, has the benefit of experience in Amsterdam, so too does Belete. The 2:18:21 Belete clocked to win in Amsterdam in 2023 remains her PB.
Fikir ran 2:18:48 when finishing second in the Berlin Marathon in 2024 and she has a season’s best of 2:20:00 – the second-fastest time of her career so far – achieved when placing seventh in Tokyo in March.
Diriba has dipped inside 2:20 in two marathons in the past 12 months, running her PB of 2:19:34 to win in Frankfurt last October and 2:19:54 to place second in Daegu in February.
Kenya’s Evaline Chirchir finished one place behind Diriba in Daegu earlier this year in 2:20:51 and clocked 2:21:32 in Berlin last month. She is entered for her third marathon of the year alongside the likes of Bahrain’s Desi Jisa Mokonin and Ethiopia’s Yeshi Kalayu Chekole and Girmawit Gebrzihair.
Leading entries
Women
Aynalem Desta (ETH) 2:17:37
Meseret Belete (ETH) 2:18:21
Mestawut Fikir (ETH) 2:18:48
Buze Diriba (ETH) 2:19:34
Desi Jisa Mokonin (BRN) 2:20:07
Yeshi Kalayu Chekole (ETH) 2:20:15
Nazret Weldu (ERI) 2:20:29
Evaline Chirchir (KEN) 2:20:33
Tiringo Mulu (ETH) 2:21:12
Stacey Chepkemboi Ndiwa (KEN) 2:23:42
Adanech Anbesa (ETH) 2:24:07
Girmawit Gebrzihair (ETH) 2:24:20
Rebecca Chepkwemoi (KEN) 2:24:52
Kena Girma (ETH) 2:25:56
Selamawit Teferi (ISR) 2:26:58
Mikky Keetels (NED) 2:30:42
Men
Geofry Toroitich Kipchumba (KEN) 2:03:30
Haymanot Alew (ETH) 2:03:31
Tsegaye Getachew (ETH) 2:04:18
Lemi Berhanu (ETH) 2:04:33
Maru Teferi (ISR) 2:04:44
Stephen Kissa (UGA) 2:04:48
Bute Gemechu (ETH) 2:04:51
Justus Kipkorir Limo (KEN) 2:04:55
Bazezew Asmare (ETH) 2:04:57
Yihunilign Adane (ETH) 2:04:59
Patrick Mosin (KEN) 2:04:59
Kalipus Lomwai (KEN) 2:05:06
Yohei Ikeda (JPN) 2:05:12
Bayelign Teshager (ETH) 2:05:23
Jonathan Korir (KEN) 2:05:27
Sila Kiptoo (KEN) 2:05:28
Ghirmay Ghebreslassie (ERI) 2:05:34
Mehdi Frère (FRA) 2:05:43
Victor Kipchirchir (KEN) 2:05:43
Tsedat Abeje Ayana (ETH) 2:05:47
Justus Kangogo (KEN) 2:05:57
Isaia Kipkoech Lasoi (KEN) debut
