Amsterdam Marathon 2026: Diriba Sets 2:16:12 Course Record, Berhanu Misses by 3 Seconds
The Amsterdam Marathon 2026 was run in the rain on Sunday, October 18, and ended with one course record and another missed by three seconds. Ethiopia’s Buze Diriba won in 2:16:12, the fastest time ever run in Amsterdam and on Dutch soil, and her compatriot Lemi Berhanu won the men’s race in 2:03:33. It was also a day of records in Beijing, Tokyo and Delhi. The figures come from the official World Athletics report.
Amsterdam Marathon 2026 results
| Place | Women | Time | Men | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Buze Diriba (Ethiopia) | 2:16:12 | Lemi Berhanu (Ethiopia) | 2:03:33 |
| 2 | Aynalem Desta (Ethiopia) | 2:17:06 | Nicholas Kipkorir (Kenya) | 2:03:39 |
| 3 | Meseret Belete (Ethiopia) | 2:18:06 | Patrick Mosin (Kenya) | 2:03:58 |
| 4 | Tiringo Mulu (Ethiopia) | 2:20:36 | Kalipus Lomwai (Kenya) | 2:04:09 |
| 5 | Mestawut Fikir (Ethiopia) | 2:21:32 | Sila Kiptoo (Kenya) | 2:04:13 |
Diriba goes from 2:19 to 2:16 on a wet morning
At the Amsterdam Marathon 2026, the women’s lead group passed halfway in 1:08:34 with Diriba, defending champion Aynalem Desta, Mestawut Fikir and Meseret Belete. Fikir was dropped at 30 km (1:37:23), and soon after Diriba and Desta left Belete behind. The decisive move came before 40 km: Diriba went through that point half a minute clear and won by almost a minute.
Her 2:16:12 takes more than three minutes off her previous best, the 2:19:34 she ran to win Frankfurt a year ago, and beats the course and Dutch all-comers’ record of 2:16:52 set by Yalemzerf Yehualaw in 2024. At 32, Diriba becomes the 16th fastest woman in history. Desta (2:17:06) and Belete (2:18:06) also ran personal bests, and the top five were all Ethiopian.
Berhanu, three seconds off the record a decade later
Lemi Berhanu won Boston in 2016, and his personal best was ten years old. In Amsterdam he took a minute off it. The men passed halfway in 1:02:24 in a large group, and defending champion and course record holder Geofry Toroitich Kipchumba dropped out soon after. When the pacers stepped aside at 30 km (1:28:48), Kenya’s Justus Kangogo took the lead and stretched the pack.
The race broke near the Vondelpark: Nicholas Kipkorir, silver medalist at last month’s World Half Marathon Championships in Copenhagen, attacked and only Berhanu went with him. They passed 40 km together in 1:57:25, Berhanu pulled away in the final stretch and entered the Olympic Stadium six seconds ahead. He finished three seconds outside the 2:03:30 course record Kipchumba set in 2025.
The depth of the Amsterdam Marathon 2026 was unusual: the top eight all broke 2:05, something that had happened only twice before. Kipkorir, in his second marathon, took almost two and a half minutes off the 2:06:07 he ran on his debut in Boston.
The rest of a day of records
The Amsterdam Marathon 2026 was not the only fast race on October 18. The same World Athletics report covers these:
- Beijing Marathon: Olympic champion Tamirat Tola won in 2:03:10, a course record and the fastest marathon ever run in China. Muktar Edris (2:04:34) and Adane Kebede (2:05:10) also went under the old record.
- Delhi Half Marathon: Kenya’s Charles Matata won with a course record and personal best of 58:52. Ethiopia’s 19-year-old Wudinesh Alemu won the women’s race in 1:06:35.
- Tokyo Legacy Half: Agnes Ngetich, this year’s world cross country and world half marathon champion, won in 1:04:23, the fastest time ever run in Japan, by more than four minutes. Alexander Mutiso won the men’s race in 59:51.
- Toronto Waterfront Marathon: wins for Leah Jeruto (2:21:19) and Leonard Langat (2:06:51).
What the Amsterdam Marathon 2026 results teach us
Both wins at the Amsterdam Marathon 2026 came the same way, with a faster second half and an attack in the final kilometers. Diriba passed halfway in 1:08:34 and finished in 2:16:12, so she ran the second half in 1:07:38, almost a minute quicker. It is the same negative split principle that works for any runner: start controlled and save something for the end.
Berhanu also improved a personal best that was ten years old, which is encouraging for anyone who has been running a long time.
If you are considering an autumn marathon in Europe, Amsterdam is flat and fast like Berlin or Valencia. The Valencia Marathon guide covers the closest Spanish option on December 6, and the World Marathon Majors guide covers the major marathon circuit.
FAQ
Who won the Amsterdam Marathon 2026?
Buze Diriba (Ethiopia) won the women’s race in a course record of 2:16:12. Lemi Berhanu (Ethiopia) won the men’s race in 2:03:33.
What is the Amsterdam Marathon course record?
After the Amsterdam Marathon 2026, for women it is Buze Diriba’s 2:16:12. For men, Geofry Toroitich Kipchumba’s 2:03:30 from 2025, which Berhanu missed by three seconds.
What other records were set on October 18?
Tamirat Tola won the Beijing Marathon in 2:03:10, the fastest marathon ever run in China, and Charles Matata set the Delhi Half Marathon course record with 58:52.
