On a cool sunny morning in Rotterdam, Holland, Belgium Bashir abdi won the NN Rotterdam Marathon with a new European record of 2:03:36. It was his first race since winning bronze at the Tokyo Olympic Marathon this summer.
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The 32-year-old won the race by 28 seconds, but it was not without a fight. With 10K to go, Kenya Marius Kipserem, who is a two-time race winner and the previous course record holder, looked like he was going to take the win for the third time. Abdi then hit the gas in the final stages of the race to overtake Kipserem, breaking both the course record and the European record set by Turkey. Kaan Kigen Ozbilen in 2019 in 2:04:16. Abdi is now the first European to run under 2:04.
“The crowd has gone mad in some places. They called my name. It gave me goosebumps. It motivated me ”, Abdi said in an interview with European Athletics after the race.
Abdi’s performance places him 14th in the world all-time. Kipserem finished behind Abdi in second place in 2:04:04, and the Ethiopian Dawit wolde completed the podium in 2:04:27.
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28-year-old Stella BARSOSIO dominates the women’s 2021 Rotterdam NN Marathon run to cross the strip in an unofficial time of 2:22:08, her PERSONAL BEST.Congratulations, Stella. # Rotterdam Marathon #StellaBarsosio pic.twitter.com/CeWRVL79Bz
– Athletes from Kenya (@athletesofkenya) 24 October 2021
Women’s race
from Kenya Stella Barsosio ran the majority of the race solo to break the strip at 2:22:08, a new personal best. Natalia Lehonkova of Ukraine finished behind her in second place in 2:30:28 and that of Kenya Kitur terminals took third place in 2:30:41.
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