Cheptegei and Shimeles impress in Amsterdam

Double Olympic champion Joshua Cheptegei took another step forward in his fledging marathon career at the 50th anniversary TCS Amsterdam Marathon, placing fifth in a personal best of 2:04:52.

Meanwhile. in the women’s race, the NN Running Team toasted an excellent marathon debut from Mekides Shimeles as the Ethiopian placed an outstanding third in 2:19:56.

Cheptegei, running only the third marathon of his career, sliced more than a minute from his previous personal best to offer great encouragement for his future over the marathon distance.

Shimeles, however, produced, arguably, the performance of the day from an NN Running Team perspective, as the diminutive Ethiopian served notice of her exciting potential to grab a memorable podium finish.

On a cloudy morning in Amsterdam, the athletes departed the Olympic Stadium in ideal temperatures of 7 degress Celsius.

The NN Running Team trio - Cheptegei, Enock Kinyamal and Mesfin Nigusu – were all part of a large lead group passing the 10km mark in 29:16.

Kinyamal was to lose contact in the next few kilometres. However, both Cheptegei and Nigusu looked composed and through 20km featured in a 15-strong lead bunch.

The real fireworks began in the second half of the race as Gabriel Geay of Tanzania cranked up the pressure and the lead pack slowly thinned. At the 25km checkpoint – reached in 1:13:32 – Cheptegei and Nigusu were positioned towards the back of the leaders, although by around 28km the Ethiopian had lost contact and was eventually to drop out of the race around 32km.

The race started to unravel shortly after 30km when Geay put down the hammer, quickly splintering the lead group, which included Cheptegei, down to seven athletes.

The relentless Geay from Tanzania launched another attack just before 34km. This proved too much for Cheptegei, the world 5000m and 10,000m record-holder, who slipped off the back, with only eventual race winner Geoffrey Toroitich of Kenya, defending champion Tsegaye Getachew and his Ethiopian compatriot Getaneh Molla able to live with the pace.

While Cheptegei sat fifth for the remainder of the race, Toroitich hit the front just before 35km and pouring on the pressure, opened up his winning lead by the 37km mark.

Crossing the line in a course record of 2:03:30, Toroitich deservedly claimed the victory spoils with Getachew, the 2022 and 2024 champion mounting a strong defence to claim second in 2:04:18 – one second clear of his compatriot Molla.

Cheptegei can be satisfied with his efforts. Taking more than a minute from his previous PB of 2:05:59 set at the Tokyo Marathon in March – the Ugandan track great was rewarded by fully focusing on marathon training in the countdown to the Amsterdam. Kinyamal completed the race in 14th, recording a time of 2:08:10.

In the women’s race, Shimeles was not overawed by the occasion. Setting a half-marathon PB of 1:08:18 enroute to victory in Den Haag in March, she featured as part of a seven-strong lead group through 10km led by her countrywoman – and eventual winner - Anyalem Desta in 32:42.

Continuing to defy her inexperience by the 25km mark Shimeles had advanced to third in the seven-strong lead group and after Bosena Mulatie had dropped off the pace around 35km it was Desta, Bertukan Welde and Shimeles in a three-way fight for victory.

A little after 36km Shimeles finally lost contact with the lead pair, but she battled gamely on to the finish to complete the greatest performance of her career so far. Out front, Desta opened up an advantage on Welde in the final 1.5km and went on to secure victory in 2:17:37 – 19 seconds clear of her fellow Ethiopian.