Running News Daily

Filmon Tesfu will make his debut at Amsterdam Marathon

For Filmon Tesfu, the countdown has begun. The 31-year-old athlete from Den Helder will participate in the Amsterdam marathon for the first time next Sunday.

In addition to his top-level sports life as an athlete, Tesfu also works three days a week as a welder at the former Willemsoord shipyard and maintenance yard. "I'm good at working with my hands, but I'm a little less with computers," says Tesfu.

"Sometimes it's quite hard to run after a full day's work," says Filmon Tesfu. In addition to working three days as a welder, the 31-year-old athlete from Den Helder runs more than 150 kilometers a week. "As a result, I am ready to make my debut at the Amsterdam Marathon."

They run away with him at work, says colleague Raymond Groen. "He puts an awful lot of time into the sport. It's a pity that we see him a little less because of all the sports. He's a great and fantastic boy."

Second Mother

An important person in Tesfu's life is Truus van den Berg, his first trainer at athletics club Sportlust. "She's my second mother. She takes care of everything for me and looks after my health, just like my mother."