Philemon Kiplimo and Selly Chepyego will carry Kenya’s flag during the Amsterdam Marathon on Sunday, October 20, 2024.

The Kenyan unit, both men and women, will, however, face stiff competition from their usual rivals from Ethiopia.

Chepyego and her compatriots will battle Yalemzerf Yehualaw a former world 10km record-holder who made a stunning marathon debut in 2022 by winning in Hamburg in what was then an Ethiopian record of 2:17:23. Later that year, in just her second race over the distance, she won the highly competitive London Marathon in 2:17:26.

Chepyego will have Winfridah Moseti for company who is heading to the race as the fastest woman this year, having set a personal best of 2:18:25 when finishing second in Hamburg in April.

Before that, Moseti had set a half marathon personal best of 1:05:59 in Malaga; having also finished as runner-up in Frankfurt last year, the 27-year-old will be keen to capture her first victory over the classic distance.

Chepyego, on the other hand, came within three seconds of breaking the 2:20 barrier last year. Following a third-place finish in Rotterdam in April in 2:22:46, the 39-year-old will aim to join the sub-2:20 club this weekend in the Dutch capital.

Men’s race

In the men’s field will also see Kenyans and Ethiopians battling for glory. Ethiopia’s Guye Adola is the fastest in the field and perhaps the most consistent, having achieved podium finishes in five of his six marathons to date, according to World Athletics.

His personal best remains the 2:03:46 clocking he achieved on his marathon debut in Berlin back in 2017. He returned to Berlin in 2021 and triumphed in 2:05:45, but he hasn’t raced since his 2:07:44 third-place finish in Frankfurt last October.

Tsegaye Getachew will accompany Adola. Getachew is the winner in Amsterdam in 2022 with a personal best of 2:04:49, and he finished 16th at the World Championships last year and fifth in Tokyo earlier this year in 2:06:25.

Apart from Kiplimo, Kenya’s hope will also be on Bernard Koech’s shoulders. Koech finished 12th there in 2019, then set a personal best of 2:04:09 to finish second in 2021. His 2:04:24 victory in Hamburg six months ago makes him the fastest entrant based on the season’s bests.

Kiplimo, who was third in Hamburg behind Koech in 2:05:37, will also be in Amsterdam pegging his hope on his best of 2:04:56, set in Berlin last year.

Elite fields

Women
Yalemzerf Yehualaw (ETH) 2:17:23
Winfridah Moseti (KEN) 2:18:25
Selly Chepyego (KEN) 2:20:03
Haven Hailu (ETH) 2:20:19
Desi Jisa (BRN) 2:20:47
Enatnesh Tirusew (ETH) 2:20:48
Marcella Herzog (NED) 2:33:10

Men
Guye Adola (ETH) 2:03:46
Bernard Koech (KEN) 2:04:09
Tsegaye Getachew (ETH) 2:04:49
Philemon Kiplimo (KEN) 2:04:56
Khalid Choukoud (NED) 2:07:37