KLM-stewardess Mikky Keetels (27) won the Dutch national marathon title at the Rotterdam Marathon on April 12, 2026, finishing as the first Dutch woman with a personal record of 2:30:41.
Keetels, a non-professional athlete, led the Dutch women’s field from the start and finished 8th overall. She finished the race on the Coolsingel with a celebratory jump and smile. This win follows her strong performance in October 2025, where she finished as the third Dutch woman at the Amsterdam Marathon.Keetels Keetels started running in 2019 to raise money for the Kika (Children’s Cancer Free) foundation and has since developed into a top-tier marathon runner without a personal coach.
She combines her training with a full-time job as a KLM stewardess, often running in different cities during 24-hour layovers. She frequently plans her routes using social media and ChatGPT, managing 180–220 km training weeks.
Mikki intends to continue her career as a stewardess but is seeking a part-time contract to focus on her running, with the ultimate goal of qualifying for the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.