Twenty one year old Asayech Ayichew (አሳየች አይቸው) came home alone at the Zevenheuvelenloop in Nijmegen, the Netherlands, on Sunday, winning the women’s race in 45:29. Only one woman has ever run a standalone 15 kilometer road race faster, and she is Ethiopian too: Letesenbet Gidey ran 44:20 on this same course in 2019, and that mark is still the world best.
The Dutch call it the Seven Hills Run, and the name is honest. The course rolls up and down through the woods outside Nijmegen, and on Sunday the field also had a cold wind and spells of rain to deal with. Asayech still finished 27 seconds clear of Uganda’s Peruth Chemutai, the 2020 Olympic steeplechase champion, who clocked 45:56. Another Ethiopian took third in 46:44, while Britain’s Megan Keith, who came to chase the European best, dropped out just after 12 kilometers.
Running fans in the Washington area may already know her name. In April she won the Cherry Blossom 10 Mile in the capital, and in January 2025 she ran 29:43 for 10 kilometers in Valencia, a time that put her among the ten fastest women ever at the distance. This year she was also fourth at the World Cross Country Championships in Tallahassee, where Ethiopia’s women took team gold.
In the men’s race, Kenya’s Alex Matata won in 40:49, seven seconds outside the world best, and home favorite Mike Foppen ran a European best of 42:10 in fifth.
It has been quite a weekend for Ethiopian road running. Earlier today Addisu Gobena and Wede Kefale swept the Hong Kong Bridge Half Marathon, and on Saturday Gemechu Tolosa Dana and Tegest Tesema won in Abuja.
