Addis Ababa, October 19, 2025 (FMC) – Ethiopian women asserted their dominance at the 50th edition of the TCS Amsterdam Marathon on Sunday, delivering a master-class performance in the elite women’s race and reinforcing Ethiopia’s status as a global force in distance running.
In a convincing display, Ethiopian athlete Aynalem Desta claimed first place with a time of 2:17:37, not only registering a substantial personal best but also recording the third-fastest time ever in the city. Desta, a former steeplechaser turned marathoner, ran with patience and strength, passing 10 km in about 32:41 and the half marathon mark in 1:09:10.
As the race progressed, the lead pack narrowed to four Ethiopian women at 30 km — Desta, Bertukan Welde, Mekides Shimeles and Waganesh Mekasha. By 40 km it was down to Desta and Welde, and Desta pulled away strongly in the final kilometres to secure victory.
Joining Desta on the podium, Bertukan Welde took second with 2:17:56, also a personal best, and Mekides Shimeles completed an all-Ethiopian podium in third with 2:19:56. Fourth place went to Waganesh Mekasha, who finished in 2:20:26, while Gadise Mulu followed in 2:21:04, completing a clean sweep of the top five spots by Ethiopian women.
In the men’s elite race, while the title was claimed by Kenya’s Geoffrey Toroitich Kipchumba in a course-record time of 2:03:30, the Ethiopian men delivered commendable performances. Tsegaye Getachew finished second in 2:04:18, followed closely by Getaneh Molla in 2:04:19.