Koech eyes Amsterdam title in third attempt
Two-time Hamburg Marathon champion Bernard Koech returns to the Netherlands on October 20 hoping to win the Amsterdam Marathon title on his third attempt.
In 2021, Koech finished second in a personal best of 2:04:09 behind Ethiopia’s Olympic marathon champion Tamirat Tola (2:03:39) and ahead of Leul Gebresilase (2:04:12).
On his debut in 2013, he was third in 2:06:29 behind Wilson Chebet (2:05:35) and Ethiopia’s Birhanu Girma (2:06:04).
In April, he defended his Hamburg Marathon title in 2:04:24, 15 seconds slower than in 2023.
The 31-year-old’s impressive resume features runners-up finishes from the 2014 Rotterdam Marathon (2:06:08) and the 2012 Lille Half Marathon (59:10).
He finished second at the 2023 Copenhagen Half Marathon clocking 59:13 behind Edward Cheserek (59:11).
He placed fourth at the 2022 Chicago Marathon (2:07:15) in a race won by Olympic bronze medalist Benson Kipruto (2:04:24) with Ethiopia’s Seifu Tura (2:04:49) and John Korir (2:05:01) completing the podium.
Koech placed fourth at the 2014 Ras Al Khaimah Half Marathon in 59:46.
He recorded a Did Not Finish at the 2013 World Championships.
Koech's main competition will come from the Ethiopians led by the 2023 Frankfurt Marathon third-place finisher Guye Adola.
Adola boasts a personal best of 2:03:46 set during the 2017 Berlin Marathon when he placed second behind two-time Olympic marathon champion Eliud Kipchoge (2:03:32).
The Ethiopian holds victories from the 2021 Berlin marathon (2:05:45), the 2014 New Delhi Half Marathon (59:06) and the 2017 Ostia Half Marathon (59:18).
He will be joined by Tsegaye Getachew, who claimed the Amsterdam title in 2022 in 2:04:49.
The 2024 Hamburg Marathon runner-up Winfridah Moraa and 2014 World Half Marathon bronze medalist Selly Chepyego lead the Kenyan charge in the women's race.
Moraa has a personal best of 2:18:25 from Hamburg and has notable wins from the 2022 Madrid (1:07:22) and Arezzo (1:07:58) half marathons.
Chepyego, with a PB of 2:20:03 from her second-place finish at last year’s Barcelona Marathon, is no stranger to the podium.
She claimed gold at the 2001 World Youth Championships in the 3,000m (9:09.95) and bronze at the 2014 World Half Marathon Championships (1:07:52).
posted Thursday September 26th
by Teddy Mulei