Second-placed Netherlands' Abdi Nageeye reacts as he arrives at the finish line in the men's marathon final during the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games in Sapporo on Aug 8, 2021. (GIUSEPPE CACACE / AFP)

THE HAGUE - Abdi Nageeye became the first Dutchman to win the Rotterdam Marathon on Sunday, with Ethiopian athlete Haven Hailu victorious in the women's event.

In the 41st edition of the Rotterdam Marathon, Nageeye settled into a leading group of 14 runners after the start

In the 41st edition of the Rotterdam Marathon, Nageeye settled into a leading group of 14 runners after the start. Twelve were left halfway through and six after the second passage of the Erasmus Bridge.

Last year's winner, Belgium's Bashir Abdi, couldn't keep up with the tempo in the final kilometers. The sprint contest was between Ethiopia's Leul Gebreselassie and Nageeye on Coolsingel Street. For a moment Gebrselassie seemed stronger, but it was Nageeye who prevailed.

Tokyo Olympic silver medalist Nageeye, who was born in Somalia, won in 2:04:56, breaking his own Dutch record of 2:06:17 from 2019.

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In the women's race, Hailu separated from her rivals after 25 kilometers and reached the Coolsingel finish in 2:22.01. Twenty-eight-year-old Dutch athlete Nienke Brinkman followed in second place in 2:22:51, lowering the Dutch record of 2:23:43 set by Lornah Kiplagat in 2003.