L. MathekaKenyan men's sweep in Amsterdam as Belet, Belete win
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Reading Time: 2min | Sun. 15.10.23. | 14:00
Kenya’s Dorcas Tuitoek managed a third place finish in 2:20:02 in the women's race
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.
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.
Joshua Belet pulls the trigger. #AmsterdamMarathon pic.twitter.com/zWT1EBpDfp
— Kenya Track & Field (@TrackFieldKE) October 15, 2023
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
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
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