Dutch record holder Abdi Nageeye at the start of 39th NN Marathon Rotterdam
1/17/2019Dutch marathon runner Abdi Nageeye will be at the start of the most beautiful marathon in the Netherlands for the 3rd time on Sunday 7 April. The 29-year-old top athlete is no stranger to Rotterdam. In 2015, he made his debut in Rotterdam and finished 9th overall in a time of 2.12.33. He was crowned Dutch Champion with this fantastic performance. In 2017, he was the first Dutch athlete ever to dive under the 'magical' limit of 2.10.00 (2.09.36) on the Coolsingel. Half a year later, on a sunny day in Amsterdam, the Somali-born man claimed the national title in a Dutch record of 2.08.16.
The talented Nageeye returns to Rotterdam, partly to take revenge after the European Athletics Championships in Berlin where he had to stop in the final stages after suffering from cramps. Earlier that year, he ran the Boston Marathon where he finished 7th in very harsh weather conditions. The athlete himself said this was his toughest marathon ever.
During the 39th edition of the NN Marathon Rotterdam, Abdi will face fierce opposition from the Belgian Koen Naert who won the gold medal at the European Athletics Championships in Berlin (2.09.51). The two athletes are equally matched and it is expected to be a great battle.
The 32-year-old top athlete Khalid Choukoud from The Hague will also be at the start – as the organisation announced last November. In the upcoming edition, Choukoud wants to beat his best performance of 2.10.52. run during his debut in Rotterdam in 2014, and he is convinced he will be able to do so in Rotterdam, he said earlier.
NN Marathon Rotterdam
The approximately 17,000 participants will start at the foot of the iconic Erasmus Bridge on Sunday 7 April at 10:00. The finish is still on the Coolsingel, the vibrant centrepiece of the marathon weekend. The registration for the 39th edition of the popular NN Marathon Rotterdam is going down a storm. 85% of the starting numbers have already been sold out.
