Kenya’s Vincent Kipchumba crosses the finish line to clinch the 2019 Amsterdam Marathon title
AMSTERDAM, Netherlands, Oct 20 – Kenya’s Vincent Kipchumba raced away from the leading pack in the final kilometer of the race to clinch the Amsterdam Marathon title on Sunday after clocking 2hrs, 5mins and 9secs.
Kipchumba as well as compatriot Elisha Rotich and Ethiopia’s Solomon Deksisa and debutant Betesfa Getahun took the initiative after going through 35km in 1:44:07.
Just before entering Vondelpark at 39km, Rotich and Deksisa accelerated and built up a small lead. Both pursuers, however, came back under the leadership of Kipchumba.
After leaving the park at the 41-kilometre point, Kipchumba ran away from the others to finally finish in Amsterdam’s Olympic Stadium in 2:05:09.
Deksisa was second in 2:05:16, just holding off Rotich (2:05:18). Getahun also finished well below 2:06 on his debut with 2:05:28.
Kipchumba improved his personal record of 2:06.56 from April this year and was happy:
“We had a very strong group and the pace at the entrance to Vondelpark was very fast,” said Kipchumba, who improved on his PB of 2:06:56. “I started to close the gap with the two front runners. I was hoping for a time of 2:05:50, so I’m very satisfied with 2:05:09.”
The Dutch top runner, Abdi Nageeye, felt some pain in his right hamstring from 10km onwards and had to settle for ninth place in 2:07:39.
“My condition is fine, but mentally this was very tough,” he said. “Nevertheless, I am happy with my second-fastest time ever. Now I have to recover well and start planning smartly for the Olympic Games.”
Meanwhile, Ethiopia’s Degitu Azmeraw smashed the women’s course record with 2:19:26, the second-fastest debut in history for the distance.
