Aliphine Tuliamuk to Race Gasparilla Half Marathon and Rotterdam Marathon

By Adam Kopet

HOKA ONE ONE Northern Arizona Elite announced Wednesday that Aliphine Tuliamuk will race the Rotterdam Marathon on April 7.

Tuliamuk's race plans were previously unknown, however, a spring marathon appeared to be in her future as she turned down a spot on the US team that will compete at the IAAF World Cross Country Championships next month. Her name was not listed among the elite fields for the Boston or London Marathons, also in April.

The decision to compete in Rotterdam, The Netherlands, is a personal one for Tuliamuk. Her running role model, Tegla Loroupe, won the Rotterdam Marathon three times, including breaking the world record in 1998. Laroupe also won the New York City Marathon in 1994 and 1995.

Tuliamuk is a nine-time USATF champion on the roads. She holds personal bests of 1:09:49 for the half marathon and 2:33:18 in the marathon. The latter came at the 2017 New York City Marathon.

Before Tuliamuk toes the line in Rotterdam, she will compete at the Gasparilla Half Marathon on Feb. 24 in Tampa, Florida. At this time, Gasparilla will be Tuliamuk's only race between now and the Rotterdam Marathon.