Meet Nienke Brinkman

Since taking up running in 2020 Nienke Brinkman has enjoyed a meteoric rise in the sport which promises so much.

Born in Indonesia but raised in Leiderdorp in the Netherlands in her younger days she impressed in the sport of field hockey – playing to a national division two standard.

Living in Zurich where Nienke is studying a PhD in geophysics, she only started running during the first lockdown in 2020 to help relieve stress but quickly discovered a passion for the sport.

Intending to run the 2020 Amsterdam Marathon the event was cancelled she instead opted to run the race virtually and surprised herself by running 2:39 for the 42.2km distance.

After linking up with her first coach – Benjamin Ueltschi – in February 2021 she has gone from strength to strength. In July the Swiss-based athlete won the Zermatt Marathon – an uphill marathon –before producing a wonderful run on her official marathon debut in Valencia last year. Aiming for a sub-2:30 clocking she posted a stunning 2:26:34 in the Spanish city – to run the third fastest time ever by a Dutchwoman.

In 2022, Brinkman continued her rise with a second place finish at the Rotterdam Marathon. Her time of 2:22:51 not only being a personal best but also breaking the 19-year-old Dutch record of Lornah Kiplagat. At the 2022 European Championships in Munich, Brinkman continued to impress as she won bronze clocking a time of 2:28:52. Th Dutch athlete concluded her 2022-season by winning the Golden Trail World Series in Madeira, Portugal.

Nienke's 2023 season started well with a win at the NN Egmond Half Marathon and victory over the same distance at the NN City Pier City Run in Den Haag (1:07:44). The Dutchwoman then ran the second fastest marathon of her career, posting 2:24:58 for 15th at the Boston Marathon.