Kipchumba defends in Amsterdam with a 2:03:30 course record to beat as Desta leads the women

The TCS Amsterdam Marathon takes place on Sunday 18 October, starting at 9:00am local time and, as in previous years, starting and finishing inside the city's Olympic Stadium. The World Athletics Platinum Label race has assembled 42 elite men and 25 elite women, and both defending champions are back on the start line.

Geofry Kipchumba of Kenya won last year in 2:03:30, which is also the current course record, and he is the top-seeded runner again. He finished second in Tokyo earlier this season in 2:03:37, so he arrives in sharp form with the clear aim of lowering his own mark. Haymanot Alew of Ethiopia, with a best of 2:03:31, is the closest challenger on paper, while Tsegaye Getachew, a winner in Amsterdam in 2022 and 2024 and runner-up last year in 2:04:18, is another with local knowledge.

The depth behind them is considerable. Lemi Berhanu (2:04:33), Maru Teferi of Israel (2:04:44), Bute Gemechu (2:04:51), Justus Limo (2:04:55) and Bazezew Asmare (2:04:57) all have personal bests inside 2:05, and Stephen Kissa of Uganda is listed at 2:04:48. Marc Scott of Great Britain (2:11:19) is among the more notable names further down the list. Isaia Lasoi of Kenya makes his marathon debut after a 58:10 half marathon, and Amos Kirui and Mayko Geay are also debutants.

In the women's race, Aynalem Desta of Ethiopia defends the title she won in 2:17:37 last year. The course record of 2:16:52 was set by Yalemzerf Yehualaw in 2024, and Desta's winning time is the fastest in the field. Meseret Belete, the 2023 champion, has a best of 2:18:21, Mestawut Fikir, second in Berlin in 2024, has run 2:18:48, and Buze Diriba has a best of 2:19:34. Gete Alemayehu, Kiara Nahen of Germany and Warkine Abdeta are the women making their debuts.

Amsterdam arrives a week after Chicago produced a 2:01:09 winning time. With Frankfurt on 25 October and the New York City Marathon on 1 November still to come, the Dutch capital is the next stage in a crowded autumn schedule. The field depth suggests a quick race, but results will depend on the weather and how the pace is set.