Amsterdam Marathon: While not designated as a Marathon Major, it is a major marathon event

The Amsterdam Marathon, happening Sunday, October 19, as usual, has assembled a fast field of international athletes.

While not one of the seven Marathon Major events, Amsterdam is a World Athletics, platinum-level race. It is world-class regardless of its designation, hence the deep fields, fast course and the heritage and architectural history of a 750-year-old major European city.

Leading the fields are Tsegaye Getachew of Ethiopia (2:04:49), and Ethiopian Tiruye Mesfin with her 2:18:35.

Joshua Cheptegei from Uganda (2:05:59), the 5000m and 10,000m world record holder, has not quite parlayed his track speed into the marathon. Amsterdam may be the venue. He has run 12:35.36 and 26:11:00, respectively.

Men

Joshua Cheptegei may be better known than some of the other athletes named due to his world records, but there are faster athletes. These include Tanzania’s Gabriel Geay with his 2:03:00 personal best, as well as Ethiopians Tsegaye Getachew (2:04:49), Getaneh Molla (2:03:34), and Bute Gemechu (2:04:51). The first 20 miles or 32 kilometres will feature these athletes. Who knows who will lead the final 10km when the racing truly begins?

Kenya’s Enock Kinyamal (2:06:28) and Ethiopia’s Mesfin Niguse (2:07:58) fill out the field.

All eyes on Amsterdam this Sunday.
🇺🇬Uganda’s @joshuacheptege1 takes on the TCS Amsterdam Marathon on October 19th. The king of long distance ready to conquer 42.2km on the road? 🏃‍♂️ #AmsterdamMarathon@NNRunningTeam pic.twitter.com/0XmgU8GVoq

— UGANDA ATHLETICS (@UgaAthletics2) October 16, 2025

The Europeans to focus on are Great Britain’s Phil Sesemann (2:08:04), Germany’s Haftom Welday (2:08:24), and representing the Netherlands, Khalid Choukoud, who has run 2:07:37. It has been since 2023 when he ran that time. Last year, Choukoud ran 2:09:30. Is he up to the task this year? He ran a slow 2:16:31 this spring in Leiden, Netherlands.

Cheptegei will want to perform at his 5000m and 10,000m world record level, which was set years ago when he ran that fast. According to World Athletics’ points performance value, it would bring him in around 2:00:45. The current world record is held by Kenyan Kelvin Kiptum at 2:00:35.

The men’s course record is 2:03:35 by Ethiopian Tamirat Tola from 2021. There is likely to be no rain during the race, and temperatures will be around 9 °C. There will, however, be some wind, which may influence finish times.

Women

Like the men’s race, the women’s is stacked with talent. The top seed, Tiruye Mesfin, from Ethiopia, will have her hands full with seven athletes who have all run sub-2:21:00.

Having run 2:18:35 in Valencia, Mesfin has shown that she can mix it up with the top women in the world. Valencia’s race is meant for the fast and the furious. The event now has deep fields that challenge Berlin, London and Chicago as the fastest.

Bahrain’s Desi Jisa is coming off a career-best 2:20:07 in Tokyo, and Israeli record-holder Lonah Salpeter (2:17:45 PB).

For the young runners up and coming, especially from East Africa, they often have staccato jumps in performance.

Will the 21-year-old Bertukan Welde, who ran 2:20:55 six days before her 21st birthday this spring, challenge to the end?

Also, 21 is Ethiopian Aynalem Desta. Who knows how these young athletes will do, but they are entering into the prime of their breakout eras.

Anne Luijten, who has run 2:26:36, will be the local favourite that spectators will pin hopes on. The 31-year-old veteran has run a number of sub-2:30 and 2:35 European Marathons, including at least three times at Rotterdam.

Seeded athletes

Men

Women