That Challenge Almere-Amsterdam has consistently ranked among the fastest races in the world in recent years is well known, especially thanks to the course records set by Menno Koolhaas (7:36:36, 2023) and Marlene de Boer (8:22:30, 2024). That the race has become as much as an hour faster in 11 years, in both men’s and women’s events, shows all the more what developments athletes are going through these days.
In 2013, Challenge Almere-Amsterdam was won by Belgian Bart Colpaert, who crossed the finish line in 8:34:50. That year the women’s race was won by German Susan Blatt, who crossed the line after 9:24:40. In the men’s race, things actually got faster every year after that, finishing above 8 hours only in 2014, 2015 and 2016. This was followed by Joe Skipper (7:59:39, 2017), Jaroslav Kovacic (7:55:43, 2018), Matt Trautman (7:50:15, 2019), Kristian Hogenhaug (7:37:46, 2021), Kieran Lindars (7:55:44, 2022), Menno Koolhaas (7:36:36) and last weekend Jesper Svensson (7:41:26) as winners, all under eight hours.
Whereas Suzan Blatt won the women’s race in 2013, this was followed by victories for Heleen bij de Vaate, Kathrin Walther and Camille Deligny who finished above the magical nine-hour mark for women from 2014 to 2016. This was followed by three victories for Yvonne van Vlerken, who dived below that nine-hour mark in both 2017 and 2019 (8:51:13 and 8:56:10) but remained just one second above nine hours in 2018. Sarissa de Vries then recorded a spectacular 8:32:04 in 2021, but the following year Katharina Wolff crossed the finish line much slower with a finishing time of 9:10:10. However, Els Visser (8:36:24) and Marlene de Boer (8:22:30) made sure to pick up the pace again in 2023 and 2024.
