On a cool, crisp morning in the Dutch capital, Geoffrey Kipchumba delivered a masterclass in marathon running, winning the 2025 Amsterdam Marathon in a course-record time of 2:03:30. The 25-year-old Kenyan not only broke the event record, previously held by Olympic champion Tamirat Tola (2:03:39 in 2021), but also smashed his personal best in the process.
Kipchumba held off a strong Ethiopian contingent that included Tsegaye Getachew, last year’s winner, who finished second in 2:04:19, and Getaneh Molla, who was third in 2:04:20. The pace was aggressive from the start, and Kipchumba’s closing strength in the final kilometers sealed the win in what was a fast and competitive edition of the race.
The 48th running of the Amsterdam Marathon, held on the event’s 50th anniversary, also doubled as the Dutch National Championships, where two familiar names once again stood atop the podium.
Khalid Choukoud, competing in what he later called “one of my best marathons ever,” claimed his fourth Dutch national title with a time of 2:07:59. It was the second-fastest marathon of his career and placed him behind only Abdi Nageeye (2:07:39 in 2019) in the Amsterdam all-time Dutch rankings.
“One of my best marathons ever,” Choukoud said after the finish. “The Dutch title was the most important thing, and doing it this way makes it even more special. Being able to show this at my age gives me confidence again. I want to maintain this level for years to come.”
The 39-year-old, who previously won national titles in 2016, 2021, and 2022, was never seriously threatened for the top Dutch spot, crossing well ahead of the next local finisher.
On the women’s side, Aynalem Desta of Ethiopia took the overall win in 2:17:37, with Bertukan Welde second (2:17:56) and Mekides Shimeles third (2:19:56). Desta, just 21, continues Ethiopia’s dominance in the Amsterdam women’s field.
The national women’s title went to Anne Luijten, who defended her crown with a time of 2:28:26, just five weeks after finishing 17th at the World Championships in Budapest.
“The Dutch title was the most important thing,” Luijten told NOS after the race, in comments captured from the event broadcast.
She finished comfortably ahead of Jill Holterman (2:28:58), who took silver in the national rankings.
Perhaps the biggest surprise came from Mikky Keetels, a KLM flight attendant making her national championship debut. Keetels took a bold approach, hitting the halfway mark on Dutch title pace. Though she faded in the second half, she still managed a personal best of 2:31:21, good enough for bronze in the Dutch standings.
With three Dutch women under 2:32 and the men’s champion running sub-2:08, the depth of the homegrown field continues to improve. But on a day marked by fast times and fierce competition, it was Kipchumba’s name that rang loudest, as he etched a new mark into the Amsterdam record books.
