Fast times at the Amsterdam Marathon: Toroitich and Desta for the wins, Cheptegei with a new personal best

“Amsterdam is not a city, it is a feeling”

— Unknown

Kenyan Geoffrey Kipchumba Toroitich and Aynalem Desta from Ethiopia won the 2025 Amsterdam marathon on Sunday morning. They finished in 2:03:30 and 2:17:37, with Toroitich establishing a new course record.

Men’s race

While all eyes were on 5000m and 10,000m world record holder Joshua Cheptegei, to see if he could run at the same performance level in the marathon, it was Kipchumba who set the new course record and personal best.

Meanwhile, Chetegei did improve his personal best to 2:04:52; the Ugandan finished in fifth place.

🏃🏼‍♂️🇳🇱 | Geoffrey Toroitich Kipchumba heeft de jubileumeditie van de marathon van Amsterdam op zijn naam geschreven. De 25-jarige Keniaan won in een parcoursrecord van 2:03,31. De Nederlandse titel was voor Khalid Choukoud. pic.twitter.com/UTs5nVKy0T

— Eurosport Nederland (@Eurosport_NL) October 19, 2025

Taking second was defending champion Tsegaye Getachew from Ethiopia, nearly a minute back at 2:04:18, and one second back was fellow Ethiopian Getaneh Molla.

The men’s lead group arrived at the 10 km mark in 29:16. They met the 21.1 km marker and halfway point in 1:02:14.

There was a group of seven who passed through 30 km in 1:28:22 – 1:28:23. Four of whom were Toroitich, Getachew, Molla and Cheptegei, who slowly drifted off the back with Tanzanian Gabriel Geay. It was Toroitich who made a decisive move in the mid-30 km range as he pulled away from Molla to create a gap.

Toroitich shaved nine seconds off the previous course record, which was set by Ethiopian Tamirat Tola in 2021.

For Toroitich, it was a two-minute personal best from his Tokyo Marathon in March this year.

The top European was Brit Phil Sesemann, finishing in 2:07:18 and taking 10th place with that new personal best time. Sesemann came in ranked 18th, seeded with a personal best of 2:08:08.

Women’s race

Ethiopian women did not just sweep the podium in Amsterdam; the top six finishers were all from that same East African country.

Aynalem Desta won in a new personal best time of 2:17:37. It is the third-fastest performance at the Amsterdam Marathon. Fellow Ethiopian Bertukan Welde took second in 2:17:56. Mekides Shimeles completed the sweep with her 2:19:56. Both Desta and Welde are just 21 years of age.

Desta specialized in the 3000m steeplechase before moving up. In the early stages of the race, she was part of the lead pack that passed 10 km in 32:41 and the halfway mark in 1:09:10. They ran by the 30 km marker in 1:38:08. The pack became Desta, Welde, Shimeles, and Waganesh Mekasha thereafter. However, Mekasha experienced a gradual drift off the back. Desta and Welde waged a fierce one-on-one over the final kms.

Desta surged as she sensed the finish, clocking in at 2:17:37. It was a performance that gained her a four-minute PB.

The top European was Margaux Sieracki in 2:25:50 and in Eighth place.

Results

Men

Women