Buze Diriba surged to a course record win and Lemi Berhanu just fell short of claiming the men’s mark at the Amsterdam Marathon as part of a packed day of competition globally on Sunday.
Rainy conditions on the course did not seem to impact Diriba as she took the victory in the women’s race in 2:16:12 and shaved 40 seconds from the previous best time at the event.
Diriba set out aggressively in the early portion of the race and was joined by Aynalem Desta and Meseret Belete to make up a small lead pack that crossed the 5km point at 16:29 and opened a 17-second gap on the chase group.
The trio would remain locked together through the halfway point at 1:08:34, with Diriba and Desta weaving through the course and eventually dropping Belete by the time they reached the 25km mark in 1:53:31.
But Diriba would not let the race come down to a late sprint with Desta and pulled away shortly after with a decisive move that saw her take a 30-second lead at the 40km point in 2:09:16, which she would ultimately carry through the final moments on the course that she punctuated in celebration at the finish line.
“I’m used to running races with elevation changes, and this was one of my first flat marathons,” Diriba said about her course record performance. “That’s why I was able to run so fast. It was tough today, but I’m extremely happy.”
Desta took second in 2:17:06 while Belete finished third in 2:18:06.
In the men’s race, Berhanu had course record ambitions of his own as he stormed to a 2:03:33 win as he navigated away from a sizable lead group that remained locked deep into the competition.
Berhanu eased through the 5km mark at 15:04 and was joined by a pack that included Nicholas Kipkorir, Patrick Mosin, Kalipus Lomwai, Sila Kiptoo and defending champion Geoffrey Toroitich Kipchumba.
The leaders would hold steady through the halfway point at 1:02:27 and traded turns up front in what was working its way into a challenge of who would take initiative and break away. But that moment would not arrive until the course worked its way toward Olympic Stadium in the closing moments.
Kipkorir accelerated and was matched by Berhanu at the 40km mark at 1:57:25, which triggered the move that would decide the race. Berhanu leaned into his kick and Kipkorir could not match, having to settle into the role of runner-up after a worthy effort.
“I’ve trained incredibly hard for this for five months, and I’ve always been strong in tough conditions, but today I was also really fast,” Berhanu said after his win. “It’s fantastic to run the fastest time of my career in this city.”
Kipkorir finished second in 2:03:39 as Mosin took third in 2:03:58.
Men’s Top Finishers
1. Lemi Berhanu (Ethiopia) – 2:03:33
2. Nicholas Kipkorir (Kenya) – 2:03:39
3. Patrick Mosin (Kenya) – 2:03:58
4. Kalipus Lomwai (Kenya) – 2:04:09
5. Sila Kiptoo (Kenya) – 2:04:13
6. Justus Kangogo (Kenya) -2:04:24
7. Jonathan Korir (Kenya) – 2:04:53
8. Isaia Lasoi – (Kenya) – 2:04:57
9. Yohei Ikeda (Japan) – 2:05:16
10. Yihunilign Adane (Ethiopia) – 2:05:16
Women’s Top Finishers
1. Buze Diriba (Ethiopia) – 2:16:12
2. Aynalem Desta (Ethiopia) – 2:17:06
3. Meseret Belete (Ethiopia) – 2:18:06
4. Tiringo Mulu (Ethiopia) – 2:20:36
5. Mestawut Fikir (Ethiopia) – 2:21:32
6. Girmawit Gebrzihair (Ethiopia) – 2:22:28
7. Rabecca Chepkwemoi (Kenya) – 2:22:48
8. Desi Mokonin (Bahrain) – 2:22:49
9. Selamawit Teferi (Israel) – 2:22:58
10. Kena Girma (Ethiopia) – 2:24:28
