Kipyego and Chepkirui Battle the Cold to Win in Amsterdam

Published by IAAF on October 18, 2015

Bernard Kipyego and Joyce Chepkirui were the winners at the 40th edition of the TCS Amsterdam Marathon, an IAAF Gold Label Road Race, on Sunday (18).

In persistent drizzling rain, temperatures below 10C and a high humidity, the conditions were far from perfect. But both athletes recorded the sixth-fastest times in the history of the race; Kipyego winning in 2:06:19 and Chepkirui crossing the line in 2:24:11.

Defending champion Kipyego was intent on retaining his title and breaking the 2:06:22 PB he set when winning in Amsterdam last year. The 29-year-old Kenyan eventually achieved both of those goals, but the cold and rain gave him – and many others – cause for concern.

Kipyego was one of 16 runners in the leading group in the first half of the race, along with three-time winner Wilson Chebet and two-time world champion Abel Kirui.

Three pacemakers – Geoffrey Kirui, Edwin Kiptoo and Nicholas Bor – tried to keep the field on pace to break Wilson Chebet’s course record of 2:05:27 from 2013.