Yalemzerf Yehualaw claimed a resounding victory at the TCS Amsterdam Marathon, winning the World Athletics Platinum Label race with a record-breaking time of 2:16:52 on Sunday, October 20. Her impressive performance shaved 28 seconds off the course record set by Almaz Ayana in 2021.
Tsegaye Getachew made it a double triumph for Ethiopia, reclaiming the men’s title he last won two years ago. He completed the marathon in 2:05:38, narrowly edging out fellow Ethiopian Boki Asefa by just two seconds in a dramatic finish.
Yehualaw, who had previously won the London Marathon, was aiming to rebound after a challenging eighth-place finish in London earlier this year. She took control of the race early, hitting the 10km mark in 32:23 and breaking away from Bahrain’s Desi Jisa by the time she reached halfway in 1:08:00.
Jisa managed to stay in second place through the halfway point, with a time of 1:08:14, maintaining a 30-second lead over a group of pursuers, including Haven Hailu, Winfridah Moseti, and Bedatu Hirpa. However, Jisa was soon overtaken by the chasing pack at 25km. Meanwhile, Yehualaw increased her lead, passing 30km in 1:36:23 and continuing to extend her advantage.
Yehualaw powered through to the finish in 2:16:52, taking the title by a wide margin. Hailu finished second in 2:19:29, while Moseti claimed third in 2:20:27, narrowly beating Gladys Chesir of Kenya.
On the men’s side, although the course record was not under threat, the race remained highly competitive. A group of 15 runners passed 10km in 29:27, and by halfway, 14 runners were still in the leading pack, reaching that point in 1:02:31.
As the race progressed, the pack began to thin. By the final stages, Getachew, Asefa, and Israeli runner Maru Teferi pulled ahead of the rest. In the closing moments at Amsterdam’s Olympic Stadium, the three men were separated by only a few strides. Getachew, just as he had done two years prior, showed his strength in the final sprint, crossing the line first in 2:05:38. Asefa finished close behind in 2:05:40, with Teferi taking third in 2:05:42.
RESULTS
Men
1 Tsegaye Getachew (ETH) 2:05:38
2 Boki Asefa (ETH) 2:05:40
3 Maru Teferi (ISR) 2:05:42
4 Justus Kangogo (KEN) 2:06:45
5 Kennedy Kimutai (KEN) 2:07:13
6 Felix Kipkoech (KEN) 2:07:39
Women
1 Yalemzerf Yehualaw (ETH) 2:16:52
2 Haven Hailu (ETH) 2:19:29
3 Winfridah Moseti (KEN) 2:20:27
4 Gladys Chesir (KEN) 2:20:30
5 Bedatu Hirpa (ETH) 2:21:09
6 Aminet Ahmed (ETH) 2:21:24
