Kenyan men's sweep in Amsterdam as Belet, Belete win

In just his third race in the classic distance, 25-year-old Joshua Belet clocked a personal best (PB) time of 2:04:18 to win this year’s Amsterdam Marathon held on Sunday 15 October.

In a spectacular display of confidence, Belet who finish second on his marathon debut in Hamburg in April this year, clocking 2:04:33 and dropped out of his second career race at the World Championships in Budapest, went ahead at 30km and held on for the win.

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Belet lead an all-Kenyan podium as last year’s Hamburg marathon winner Cyprian Kotut clocked a PB of 2:04:34 to finish 16 seconds behind his compatriot as Bethwel Chumba unleashed a strong finishing kick for a 2:04.37 to complete the podium.

“My plan was to break the course record but that was never to be. I am, however, happy to have won here in just my second marathon. With this victory, I would be happy if I were to be considered for the Olympics marathon next year,” Belet said after the race.

Meanwhile, the women’s podium also bagged PB’s with an Ethiopian 1-2, Kenya’s Dorcas Tuitoek holding on for third place in 2:20:02.

Meseret Belete, who missed Chicago Marathon due to a visa hitch clocked 2:18:21 to smash her PB by more than two minutes and notched up her second victory of the year, having won in Doha back in January in 2:20:46, her previous lifetime best.

Meseret Abebayehu, winner in Riyadh and Xiamen earlier this year, held on for second place in 2:19:50, smashing her PB by more than four minutes.

Leading results

Women

1 Meseret Belete (ETH) 2:18:21

2 Meseret Abebayehu (ETH) 2:19:50

3 Dorcas Tuitoek (KEN) 2:20:02

4 Ashete Bekere (ETH) 2:21:51

5 Tiruye Mesfin (ETH) 2:22:07

6 Anchalem Haymanot (ETH) 2:22:23

7 Meseret Gola (ETH) 2:22:29

8 Sofia Assefa (ETH) 2:23:33

9 Marion Kibor (KEN) 2:24:26

10 Anne Luijten (NED) 2:26:36

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Men

1 Joshua Belet (KEN) 2:04:18

2 Cybrian Kotut (KEN) 2:04:34

3 Bethwel Chumba (KEN) 2:04:37

4 Birhanu Legese (ETH) 2:04:44

5 Lemi Berhanu (ETH) 2:05:48

6 Bazezew Asmare (ETH) 2:06:34

7 Mulugeta Debasu (ETH) 2:06:36

8 Haymanot Alew (ETH) 2:08:25

9 Khalid Choukoud (NED) 2:08:36

10 Abderrazak Charik (FRA) 2:08:37