Berhanu and Diriba win Amsterdam Marathon

◆10 sources

Ethiopian runners Lemi Berhanu and Buze Diriba won the men’s and women’s races at the Amsterdam Marathon, held in wet conditions. Berhanu pulled away from Nicholas Kipkorir late in the race and finished at the Olympic Stadium; reports gave his time as 2:03:31, 2:03:32 or 2:03:33, just outside Geofry Kipchumba’s course record of 2:03:30. Kipkorir was second, with one report placing Patrick Mosin third.

Diriba beat defending champion Aynalem Desta and set a women’s course record. Reports differed by one second on her time, giving 2:16:11 or 2:16:12, and said she improved Yalemzerf Yehualaw’s 2024 record by about 40 or 41 seconds. Noah Schutte was the fastest Dutch man in 2:09:35, while Mikky Keetels recorded a personal best, according to a single report.

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Transport & Travel

Amsterdam Marathon 2026

2 sources

Tens of thousands of runners took part in the Amsterdam Marathon on Sunday, with participants from 161 countries reported. Rainy autumn weather accompanied the race. Aynalem Desta won the women's race in a course record. In the men's race, Nicholas Kipkorir and Lemi Berhanu were the two remaining contenders about two kilometres before the finish; no final men's result was reported. Noah Schutte was the leading Dutch man during the race, while Mikky Keetels was the leading Dutch woman.

Sports

Khalid Choukoud's eighth Amsterdam Marathon

2 sources

Khalid Choukoud, 40, was due to start the TCS Amsterdam Marathon for the eighth time on Sunday. The four-time Dutch champion said he intends to keep running the Amsterdam race in coming years, citing his positive memories of the event.

Sports

Mikky Keetels prepares for the Amsterdam Marathon

5 sources

Mikky Keetels, a 27-year-old flight attendant and Dutch marathon champion, prepared for the TCS Amsterdam Marathon after taking three months off work to focus on training. She trained in Kenya and elsewhere, without a coach according to a single report, and aimed to improve her marathon time. Keetels was due to start in Amsterdam and hoped to run under 2 hours and 30 minutes. She said she also wanted to inspire young athletes by sharing her training and daily life on social media, while retaining her job in aviation. A single report said she hopes eventually to compete at the Olympic Games.

Sports

Amsterdam Marathon runners describe their pre-race breakfasts

1 source

Elite runners preparing for the Amsterdam Marathon were reported to favor familiar, modest meals rather than experimenting shortly before the race. Dutch contender Mikky Keetels ate a chicken sandwich and a chocolate sandwich for breakfast in the preceding days, having previously tried carbohydrate loading with M&Ms without success. On race morning, she ate two white sandwiches with honey or jam and drank a lot of coffee. Kenyan runners Nicholas Kipkorir and Geoffrey Toroitich Kipchumba were reported to eat familiar meals of beans, bread and eggs on the preceding Friday and Saturday. Kipchumba’s race-morning meal was a cup of coffee and two slices of bread with honey, while Kipkorir had tea, a sports drink and three bananas. The athletes said they avoided unfamiliar foods to reduce the risk of stomach problems.