Kenyan hopes on Philemon Kiplimo at Amsterdam Marathon

Kenya’s Philemon Kiplimo will be the man to watch at the 49th edition of the TCS Amsterdam Marathon, a prestigious World Athletics Platinum Label road race, scheduled for October 20, 2024 in Amsterdam, Netherlands

The 26 year-old, is fresh from finishing third at this year’s Haspa Marathon Hamburg, where he finished with a season best of 2:05.37.

Kiplimo who will carry the hopes of his country and comes to this race with the second fastest time of 2:04.56 that he got last year at the Berlin Marathon, will battle Ethiopia’s Tsegaye Getachew who comes to this race with the fastest time on paper of 2:04.49 that he set last year at the Tokyo marathon, where he took the bronze medal. Getachew who finished 16th at the 2023 World Championships in Budapest, holds a season best of 2:06.25 that he got in Berlin where he took a fifth place.

The two will not have an easy ride as they will face-off with Kebede Wami of Ethiopian and Justus Kangongo from Kenya who holds respective time of 2:05.19 and 2:05.57.

Other title contenders include Ethiopia’s Bazezew Asmare, who finished third in Amsterdam in 2022 with a time of 2:04.57 and Maru Teferi of Israel, a double silver medalist at the European Championships in Munich two years ago and carries to this race a personal best of 2:06.43 that he got in 2022 in Fukuoka.

Five times Dutch National champion, Khalid Choukoud will be representing his country as he tries to improve on his personal best of 2:07.37 that he got last year in Valencia.

The seven top elite runners will be targeting to lower the race course record of 2:03.38, set three years ago by Ethiopia’s Tamirat Tola.