Amsterdam Marathon on Sunday October 16, 2011 – Lornah Kiplagat from Amsterdam to London

Lornah Kiplagat will take part in the Amsterdam Marathon on Sunday October 16. She will be chasing her goal to qualify for the Olympic Games in London, where she hopes to make her dream come true: to win Olympic gold. Race director Cees Pronk: “Lornah Kiplagat is a unique talent and athlete and we in Amsterdam must give her the chance to reach her goal.” Kiplagat won the Amsterdam Marathon in 1999.

From now on Kiplagat is completely focussed on the Amsterdam Marathon. During the Dutch championship, which will be held during the Amsterdam Marathon, she must run a time of 2.27.24. Earlier this year at the London Marathon she didn’t quite make Olympic time limit (02.27.57). However, London was a personal success for her. She said after London that the feeling is back, after a long period of injuries. After the spring marathon she hasn’t had any more setbacks. The Amsterdam Marathon is the sixth fastest marathon in the world. The course offers Kiplagat the opportunity to run a fast time and thereby head for the Games.

The top runner from Groet is known mostly for her achievements on the road. She has won nearly every major road race in the world and has many course records to her name. She won the world title four times, in the 20 kilometre in 2006, the half marathon in 2007 and 2008 and the cross country in 2007.

Kiplagat won the Los Angeles Marathon twice. She has also won Amsterdam, Rotterdam and Osaka. She was second in Chicago and third in the New York Marathon. Her personal best in the marathon is on 2.22.22, which she ran in Osaka in 2003.

The Olympic Games in London will be her third. She represented the Netherlands at the 10,000 metres in 2004 and 2008. She came fifth and eighth respectively.

The interest in the Amsterdam Marathon is huge again this year. At this moment the number of entries is 20 per cent higher than at this point in 2010.

This is a spectacular growth, which means the Amsterdam Marathon is about to become one of the biggest marathons in Europe! In addition, the participants include an incredible number of nationalities from more than 75 countries.

Source: Amsterdam Marathon