"It was painful and difficult": Dumoulin switches from handlebars to running shoes and clocked an amazing 2:29 in his first marathon

The Dutch cyclist Tom Dumoulin, winner of the 2017 Giro d'Italia and one of the great time trialists of his generation, put on a race bib again last Sunday, but this time far from the two wheels. Dumoulin made his debut in the Amsterdam Marathon and completed the 42.195 km in 2 hours, 29 minutes, and 21 seconds, a time that many experienced runners would sign without hesitation.

Tom Dumoulin has run a marathon faster than many runners

The 34-year-old Dutchman set himself the goal of running under two and a half hours and achieved it, although not without suffering. “I wanted to run under 2h30 and I did it, but it was painful and difficult,” he declared to Het Laatste Nieuws. “Of course, I started too fast. I was running so well that I thought: 'we'll see'. On the bike, I never do that, I know how to pace myself. But running... I just let myself go and enjoyed it,” he added.

Dumoulin completed the first half in 1h09 and the second in 1h20, showing the typical "hitting the wall" of a beginner. “My slump was huge. You can tell I don't have enough kilometers in my legs,” he admitted after crossing the finish line. In total, he finished 116th out of more than 23,000 participants, maintaining an average of 3:32 min/km.

 

 

 

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During the first kilometers, the Dutchman followed a group accompanying the Ethiopian Aynalem Desta, winner of the women's category with 2:17:38. “We passed the halfway point in 1h09 and that's when everything started to tighten up. I had to stop three times for cramps and thought I wouldn't be able to finish”, he explained in an Instagram post summarizing his experience:

“After stopping three times and thinking I couldn't finish, I managed to maintain a pace fast enough to finish in less than 2h30. Thanks to everyone for the encouragement, they pushed me to the finish line”.

The Dutchman had already shown his passion for running in 2023 when he ran the Amsterdam half marathon in 1:10:04, and this time he extended his training to 34 km in the lead-up. “I trained as much as I could, without getting injured. But the difference between my physical form and what my muscles and tendons can endure is still significant,” he acknowledged.

Retired since 2022, Dumoulin seems to have found a new personal challenge in running. And, judging by his debut, the Giro champion continues to show that his engine is at another level, even without a bicycle.