Runners and followers on the Rotterdam Marathon noticed a poignant second of silence on Sunday morning earlier than the race, in reminiscence of world marathon record-holder, Kenya’s Kelvin Kiptum, who died tragically in a automotive accident earlier this yr. Many runners additionally paid tribute to his legacy by carrying black ribbons in his honour.
Kiptum, 24, had been slated to compete in Rotterdam, and had been hoping to problem the two:00 barrier. He made historical past by breaking the lads’s marathon world report on the 2023 Chicago Marathon, in an astonishing time of two:00:35, changing into the primary man to run below the two:01 mark.
Olympic silver medalist Nageeye reclaimed his Rotterdam Marathon title from 2022 and set a brand new Dutch nationwide report within the course of, crossing the road in 2:04:45 and besting his PB by 11 seconds. Nageeye secured victory by a mere five-second margin forward of Ethiopia’s Amedework Walelegn, the 2020 world half marathon champion, with Birhanu Legese of Ethiopia claiming the third spot in 2:05:16.
The race started in near-perfect situations, with a bunch of 9 runners carefully trailing the pacemakers by the preliminary kilometeres. By the point the runners hit the 30K mark solely seven runners remained in competition. With tactical precision, Nageeye surged forward within the closing kilometeres to clinch his second victory within the race.
In 2022, Nageeye turned the primary Dutch runner to win the Rotterdam Marathon, setting what was on the time a brand new Dutch report of two:04:56. The Somali-born runner, 35, took third within the New York Metropolis Marathon in the identical yr, and captured silver on the 2020 Tokyo Olympic marathon. The course report on the Rotterdam Marathon is 2:03.36, set three years in the past by Tokyo Olympics marathon bronze medallist, Belgiums’s Bashir Abdi.
Ethiopia’s Ashete Bekere dominates ladies’s discipline
Within the ladies’s race, 2019 Berlin Marathon winner Bekere additionally reclaimed her title as Rotterdam Marathon champion (Bekere gained the race in 2019 in 2:22:55), capturing the win in 2:19:20. Kenya’s Viola Kibiwot was second in 2:20:57, adopted by Kenya’s Selly Chepyengo in 2:22:46.
Internet geen parcoursrecord bij de dames maar een fantastische 2.19.30 voor Ashete Bekere bij #demooiste @MarathonRdam pic.twitter.com/iRPObNUMoV
— Tim de Haan (@timmietovenaar) April 14, 2024
Bekere led from begin to end, adopted by a lead pack of Sisay Meseret Gola of Ethiopia, Chepyengo and Kibiwot—the group cruised at course-record pace by the early kilometeres of the race. Bekere surged forward and had an eight-second lead by the 30K mark, and steadily constructed a commanding from there to safe the win.
Bekere,35, took third on the London Marathon in 2021, and second on the 2022 Tokyo Marathon.
High Canadians
Guillaume Larose-Gringas from Lac Beauport, Que. was the highest Canadian, ending in 2:33:37. Fellow Quebecois runner Marc Olivier-Simard was second in 2:42:27, and Charles Castonguay, additionally of Quebec, was the third Canadian in 2:45:13. For full outcomes of the 2024 Rotterdam Marathon, head right here.
