If conditions allow, two-time Olympic medallist Bashir Abdi is aiming to improve his European record in the Rotterdam Marathon on Sunday (12) morning.
Abdi set the existing record in this race in 2021, stopping the clock at 2:03:36 to become the first European in history to break the 2:04-barrier. He returned to win the Rotterdam Marathon for the second time in 2023, just missing his European record with a 2:03:47 clocking.
And after an injury-ravaged 2025 season, Abdi is back in form and ready to run fast again. He has already run fast at the half marathon this year, setting a Belgian record of 59:28 for victory in his home city of Gent which augurs well for his record-breaking ambitions at the full distance.
"I did everything that was necessary in my preparation…of course, I don't have a crystal ball for Sunday, but I think I've had a very good preparation and that I'm ready to fight,” said Abdi, who has been training at high altitude in Ethiopia this winter, as quoted by Sporza.be.
On the prospect of a potential third victory on Sunday, Abdi said: “Can I go for the win as well? The organisers haven't made it easy for me.”
Abdi will face a strong Ethiopian contingent which includes Birhanu Legese (2:02:48 PB), Haymanot Alew (2:03:31), Guye Adola (2:03:46) and Tesfaye Diriba (2:04:13) and Kenyans Erick Sang (2:04:12) and Kenneth Kipkemoi (2:04:52).
Behind Abdi, the elite men’s race will have plenty of European interest. The line-up also includes Abdi’s Belgian teammate and good friend Koen Naert who won the 2018 European marathon title in Berlin. Naert set his PB of 2:06:56 in the 2023 Rotterdam Marathon, a race won by Abdi.
France’s Morhad Amdouni, who outsprinted Abdi on the track for the 10,000m title at the 2018 European Athletics Championships, is a late entrant into the elite men’s field.
Amdouni came close to Abdi’s European record with a 2:03:47 clocking, the joint second fastest time in history by a European, in the 2024 Seville Marathon, although the 38-year-old hasn’t shown this sort of form since.
From a local standpoint, the leading Dutch entrant in the men’s race is Filmon Tesfu who improved to 2:06:42 in the Valencia Marathon last December to move to second on the Dutch all-time list.
Abdi’s 10 fastest marathon times
2:03:36 (1) - 2021 Rotterdam Marathon
2:03:47 (1) - 2023 Rotterdam Marathon
2:04:32 (3) - 2023 Chicago Marathon
2:04:49 (2) - 2020 Tokyo Marathon
2:05:19 (3) - 2022 London Marathon
2:05:23 (4) - 2022 Rotterdam Marathon
2:06:14 (5) - 2019 Chicago Marathon
2:06:47 (2) - 2024 Olympic Games (Paris)
2:06:48 (3) - 2022 World Athletics Championships (Eugene, OR)
2:07:03 (7) - 2019 London Marathon
Men's European marathon record progression
2:07:12 - Carlos Lopes (POR), 1985
2:06:36 - Antonio Pinto (POR), 2000
2:06:36 - Benoit Zwierzchlewski (FRA), 2003
2:05:48 - Sondre Nordstad Moen (NOR), 2017
2:05:11 - Mo Farah (GBR), 2018
2:04:16 - Kaan Kigen Ozbilen (TUR), 2019
2:03:36 - Bashir Abdi (BEL), 2021