With the tickets selling out in just 8 days and Kelvin Kiptum intending to break the world record again, this year’s edition of the Rotterdam Marathon has a chance to make history and elevate the event to new levels of popularity.
Kelvin Kiptum, who set the world record in October, 2023 after finishing the full marathon within 2 hours and 35 seconds, will participate in the Rotterdam Marathon in April and aims to finish in under 2 hours, Reuters reports.
“If he goes a little bit faster, it can be below two hours, which will be the fastest marathon ever run, which is insane. And then we will be the first marathon where this happens,” says Amber Middelhoek, the marketing lead for the Rotterdam Marathon.
“Everything has to be just right, the weather needs to be good, and Kelvin needs to not have any injuries. Everything needs to be perfect because there is a chance history will be written during this edition,” she adds.
A Run To Remember
The Rotterdam Marathon is generally gaining more popularity. Middelhoek says the tickets for this year’s edition sold out in just 8 days, with lots of people still remaining on the waiting list. “It's something that usually only happens for large international marathons, so it’s pretty unique for the Netherlands,” she says.
Last year, for the first time, the Rotterdam Marathon had more finishers than the Amsterdam Marathon. This was significant for the event considering that Rotterdam Marathons has fewer registration spots and 65% of the runners are locals.
Although the Rotterdam Marathon is attracting more attention, competing with Amsterdam’s event is not the priority. “It's not our goal to be larger than Amsterdam. Our goal is to offer the best experience for everyone who's there,” Middelhoek explains.
Indeed, Harry Raspe (45), an engineer at KPN, ran the Rotterdam Marathon last year for the first time and is going to participate again this year. “Last year was my first marathon and after I finished I said I would never do it again because I had a lot of pain in my leg. And then, I decided I wanted to run again because it was an amazing experience. This year I already have two marathons, Rotterdam and Paris,” says Raspe.
“People say it is the most beautiful marathon in the Netherlands. The crowds along the road make it a great experience. They are all cheering for you and giving you motivation to keep going. So, if you want to do it, do it in Rotterdam,” Raspe adds.
This year’s Rotterdam Marathon will be one to remember for all participants, with Kiptum running beside them. “It makes it even more special to run on the same track as he does and I hope he will beat his own record. I think he is lucky to start earlier than I do, so that I can’t overtake him,” Raspe laughs.