Amsterdam Marathon 2023: The Dutch canal city of new personal best times
This year’s Amsterdam Marathon again proved to be a fast venue, including the winner, Kenya’s Joshua Belet, and Ethiopia’s Meseret Belete. Both Dutch runners Khalid Choukoud and Anne Luijten also achieved their personal best (PB) in Amsterdam this year.
The Ethiopian Ashete Bekere could be seen in the leading group right from the start. Leading the runners through the famous Rijksmuseum, the speed was relatively slow due to the rainy weather conditions and the narrow streets.
The leading group of elite runners passed the first five kilometres in 16:27, ten kilometres in 32:45, and the half-way point in 1:09:05. The group maintained a high speed indicating a finishing time in the region of 2:18:00.
They became significantly faster throughout the race and around the 30-kilometre mark it looked like even a new record seemed possible. The Kenyan Marion Kibor faced difficulties at 21 kilometres, staying behind. By kilometer 30, the leading group only consisted of Belete, Abebayehu, Tuitoek and Bekere.
At kilometre 26, Bekere couldn’t follow the leading group any more, although she had announced before the race that she would show something special this year in Amsterdam. Meseret Belete took the lead at kilometre 40 entering the Olympic Stadium by herself, but with no new record, winning in 2:18:21. Nobody had predicted her victory.
Behind three pacemakers leading her towards the finishing line, the Dutch athlete Anne Luijten ran the race of her life. By only 14 seconds in 2:26:36, she achieved the Olympic standard for Paris next year.
Similar to the women, the men did their first five kilometres at a slower pace. A large leading group included famous names such as the Ethiopian, Birhanu Legese, the fourth fastest man in the history of the marathon. Altogether nine runners at the Amsterdam Marathon 2023 had run a marathon under 2:05:00.
Around kilometre 10 the Hamburg Marathon 2023 winner, Kenyan Bernard Kiprop Koech was slowing down grabbing his right thigh leaving the race. The leading group had sped up with 10 kilometres at 29:28 and 20 kilometres at 58:48.
The lead pack became smaller. The 2019 Dubai Marathon winner Reuben Kipyego dropped out of the leading group around kilometre 20. With the group in sight he tried to reach the runners in front again but lost metre by metre.
After 30 kilometres, Joshua Belet made a move and opened up a gap on his opponents. With Amsterdam only being his third marathon, Belet won in 2:04:18. The 25-year old pointed out that he had already felt wonderful during this year’s Hamburg Marathon in second place.
The Kenyan, Cybrian Kotut, came second in Amsterdam with a new PB of 2:04:34. Bethwel Chumba completed the Kenyan podium. Despite a new PB, the Dutch runner Khalid Choukoud missed the Olympic standard for Paris 2024 by only 26 seconds in 2:08:36.
