Olympic Champion Joshua Cheptegei continues marathon journey in Amsterdam

Joshua Cheptegei is the second major name confirmed for the international elite field of the TCS Amsterdam Marathon. The Olympic 10,000m champion will run his third marathon on Sunday, October 19, adding an extra golden touch to this special anniversary edition. Earlier, sports organization Le Champion announced the participation of Tamirat Tola, the reigning Olympic marathon champion and course record holder in Amsterdam. While Tola will be aiming to break his own record, Cheptegei, still new to the classic distance, has nothing to lose. In this milestone year, which of these two Olympic greats will make history on the fast course of this Platinum Label race?

28-year-old Joshua Cheptegei from Uganda is a member of the NN Running Team and holds the world records in both the 5000m and 10,000m. Last year, he claimed Olympic gold in the 10,000m in Paris, clocking a time of 26:43.14. It wasn’t his first Olympic success: at the 2021 Tokyo Games, he won gold in the 5000m and silver in the 10,000m. The TCS Amsterdam Marathon will be Cheptegei’s third-ever marathon. He made his debut in Valencia in 2023, finishing in 2.08.59, and ran 2.05.59 in Tokyo this past March.

Will Cheptegei take the final step to the top of marathon running this autumn, and can Tola push him to a sub-2.04 finish? The outcome of what promises to be a historic duel can be witnessed live from the grandstands of the Olympic Stadium on Sunday, October 19 (with free admission for spectators).

Live on TV
The TCS Amsterdam Marathon, celebrating its 50th anniversary this year, will be broadcast live on Sunday starting at 8.50 hours on NOS, Eurosport, and other international networks in more than 190 countries. The starting gun for the elite race sounds at 9.00 hours.