Geofry Kipchumba crowns jubilee edition of the TCS Amsterdam Marathon with new course record

Geofry Kipchumba triumphed in the jubilee edition of the TCS Amsterdam Marathon, setting a new course record of 2:03:30. The fourth-fastest marathon time in the world this year. The 25-year-old Kenyan ran an attacking race, crushed his personal best, and erased Tamirat Tola’s previous record (2:03:39) from the books. Among the women, Ethiopia’s Aynalem Desta took victory in 2:17:37, while Khalid Choukoud and Anne Luijten were crowned Dutch marathon champions after an exciting race.

The start list featured several big names, including Olympic champion Joshua Cheptegei and Gabriel Gaey. A new course record seemed likely, but Kipchumba’s victory still came as a surprise. Up to the halfway mark along the Amstel River, a large lead group stayed together behind a single pacemaker. They passed the halfway point exactly on record pace, after which the tempo increased further. A clear split followed, but the favourites remained in the mix, and calm briefly returned to the group.

With the wind at their backs, everything pointed toward a world-class time. The race truly ignited at the 33 km mark: Gaey surged ahead, forcing Cheptegei to drop back. Not long after, Kipchumba made his decisive move — running solo, unstoppable, and uncatchable. The final seven kilometres were a lonely battle against the clock, but it paid off: he crossed the line nine seconds under the record. “I’m very happy. I felt strong and thought, let’s push. I was hoping for 2:04, so this is even better,” Kipchumba said relaxedly afterwards. Former winner Tsegaye Getachew had to settle for second place (2:04:18), finishing just one second ahead of Getaneh Molla (2:04:19).

The women’s race remained exciting deep into the race. After 30 kilometres, six Ethiopian athletes were still in contention for the win. In the end, Aynalem Desta and Bertukan Welde pulled away, with Desta proving the strongest and winning this special jubilee edition in 2:17:37, a huge personal best (previously 2:22:11). Welde also set a new best with 2:17:56, while Mekides Shimeles finished third in 2:19:56.

Dutch champions: Choukoud and Luijten
As part of the anniversary celebrations, the Dutch Marathon Championships also took place in Amsterdam. Khalid Choukoud impressively captured his fourth national title in 2:08:00, his second-best career time. “This is one of my best marathons ever. I’m really happy and this gives me a lot of confidence. Next year, I’d love to go to the European Championships and see what’s possible there,” said Choukoud. Gianluca Assorgia finished second in 2:12:46, and Stan Niesten took third place with 2:13:39.

In the women’s championship, Anne Luijten ran a brilliantly paced race. While Mikky Keetels started off at a blistering pace, Luijten kept her composure and crossed the finish line in the Olympic Stadium after 2:28:28. “I could either stay on the couch and watch, or take part and mix it up,” she said beforehand. That turned out to be the right choice: in her third marathon this year, Luijten once again claimed the Dutch title. “I tried to run smart, it was a bit nerve-racking because Mikky started so fast. I’m super happy and proud. This is a perfect finale, just five weeks after the World Championships,” said Luijten.

Jill Holterman earned the silver medal in 2:29:02, running an excellent race and finishing less than a minute above her personal best. Mikky Keetels, who had started bravely, claimed bronze. After being overtaken by Luijten and Holterman around 30 km, she still finished with a big smile in 2:31:33, a major personal improvement. “I took three minutes off my previous time and gave it everything I had. It couldn’t have gone better,” said Keetels after the finish.

50 Years of the TCS Amsterdam Marathon
This weekend marked the 50th anniversary of the TCS Amsterdam Marathon. To celebrate this milestone, event organizer Le Champion hosted a two-day program, including Saturday’s 7.5K, Kids Run, and Heroes Run, followed by the full and half marathons on Sunday. The new course record and thousands of recreational performances serve as a fitting tribute to half a century of running history in Amsterdam.

The next edition of the TCS Amsterdam Marathon will take place on Sunday, October 25, 2026, with registration opening on Saturday, December 20.