Almaz Ayana made her comeback with another record. On Sunday, October 16, the Olympic track champion won the Amsterdam Marathon in 2:17:20, the fastest ever women’s marathon debut.
The Ethiopian runner came out on top in a highly anticipated match-up with multiple debuts. Genzebe Dibaba finished her first 26.2 second in 2:18:05, and Teshay Gemechu debuted with a third-place showing in 2:18:59.
Before Ayana’s victory, Yalemzerf Yehualaw held the record for the fastest ever women’s marathon debut after running 2:17:23 in Hamburg last April. Ayana, a two-time world champion on the track, is now seventh on the all-time list of fastest women’s marathons. Dibaba, the world record-holder in the 1500 meters, cracked the top 20.
The trio ran together for most of the race—clocking 1:09:26 at halfway—before the first big move was made at 33K, where Gemechu was dropped by Dibaba and Ayana. In the last 5K, Ayana broke away from the 1500-meter Olympic champion for good. She also smashed the course record.
The performance marks Ayana’s biggest victory since winning the 2016 Olympic 10,000-meter title in a then-world record. “I have no words for this. This is very special, and I am very happy,” Ayana told Athletics Weekly.
“It was very tough after my Olympic title in 2016 with injuries and pain. I am grateful for my husband, son and management for all the support,” she said.
For Dibaba, the performance also marked a significant step forward after racing sparingly in recent years. In 2020, she made her 13.1 debut with an impressive 1:05:18 at the Valencia Half Marathon. According to World Athletics, Amsterdam was the five-time world indoor champion’s third completed road race in two years.
“Fantastic first marathon in the streets of Amsterdam!” Dibaba wrote on her Instagram page. “I’m so happy with my second place with a time of 2:18:04! Thanks God!”
Taylor Dutch is a writer and editor living in Austin, Texas, and a former NCAA track athlete who specializes in fitness, wellness, and endurance sports coverage. Her work has appeared in Runner’s World, SELF, Bicycling, Outside, and Podium Runner.
