Almaz Ayana and Genzebe Dibaba will make their marathon debuts in Amsterdam

Two Ethiopian women, Rio 2016 Olympics 10,000m champion Almaz Ayana and 1,500m world record holder Genzebe Dibaba, will make their marathon debuts in Amsterdam on October 16.

Almaz Ayana, 30, returned to the sport this year after a nearly three-year absence due to maternity. She finished third in the Great North Run Half Marathon on Sunday with a time of 1:07:10.

Genzebe Dibaba, 31, is following in the footsteps of her older sisters and Olympic medalists Tirunesh Dibaba and Ejegayehu Dibaba in the marathon. Her 1,500m world record (3:50.07 minutes) from 2015 still tops the all-time list. This year, Kenyan Faith Kipyegon recorded the second fastest time in history – 3:50.37.

Genzebe Dibaba missed the 2019 World Championships in Doha due to a right leg injury, as well as the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. On December 6, 2020, she clocked the fastest half-marathon debut for a woman, 1:05:18.