Ethiopian athlete Meseret Belete won the Amsterdam Marathon

Meseret Belete (Ethiopia) won the TCS Amsterdam Marathon of the World Athletics Platinum Label in 2:18:21 hours. She recorded third-fastest winning times ever in the Dutch capital.

Meseret Belete improved her personal best and achieved her second victory during the season after winning in Doha in January.

The Ethiopia long-distance runner maintained a remarkably consistent pace throughout the race, and overtook her compatriots Meseret Abebayehu and Ashete Bekere, as well as Dorcas Tuitoek (Kenya). A large lead pack passed through 5km in 16:27 min and 10km in 32:45 min. On the half-way only nine runners remained in the leading pack. By 30km of the race, there were just four women left in the lead pack – Meseret Belete, Meseret Abebayehu, Dorcas Tuitoek and Ashete Bekere.

Meseret Belete just kept the pace and entered the stadium with a comfortable lead and crossed the line in 2:18:21 hours, winning by 89 seconds.

She didn’t have to increase her pace; she simply maintained it while her last few opponents drifted off it. Belete eventually entered the stadium with a comfortable lead and crossed the line in 2:18:21, winning by 89 seconds.

Her compatriot Meseret Abebayehu finished second in 2:19:50 hours, while Dorcas Tuitoek (Kenya) earned the bronze with a time of 2:20:02 hours.