Michel Butter

Michel Butter (born 5 November 1985) is a Dutch long-distance runner.

He was the silver medallist over 10,000 metres at the 2007 European Athletics U23 Championships and represented his country at the 2008 European Cross Country Championships, coming ninth in the senior men's race. Butter was the winner of the Tilburg Warandeloop in 2008 and won the half marathon at the 2009 Berenloop road race. He was 16th in the race at the 2010 European Cross Country Championships.

He made his marathon debut at the 2011 Utrecht Marathon and won on his first attempt with a time of 2:17:35 hours. The race was reduced to a national level event that year as prize money was directly solely to Dutch runners. He significantly improved his best time at the 2011 Amsterdam Marathon, where his time of 2:12:59 hours brought him the Dutch national title and 15th position overall. At the 2012 Boston Marathon, he was seventh and the top European in a race slowed by hot conditions. In the 2012 Amsterdam Marathon, he took 12th place, in a new personal best of 2:09:58 hours.

Career highlights

International achievements

National achievements Dutch National Championships 2004 - 1st, 5,000 m (juniors) 2004 - 1st, cross-country (juniors) 2006 - Schoorl, 2nd, 10,000 m 2006 - The Hague, 2nd, Half marathon 2007 - 1st, cross-country 2007 - 1st, 10,000 m 2007 - Amsterdam, 1st, 5,000 m (track) 2008 - Gilze en Rijen, 1st, cross-country 2008 - The Hague, 1st, Half marathon 2008 - 1st, 10,000 m 2009 - Amsterdam, 1st, 5,000 m (track) 2011 - Amsterdam Marathon, 1st Dutch (15th)

Personal bests

Track Distance Mark Date Location 1,500 m 3:42.66 August 31, 2009 Antwerp 3,000 m 7:59.80 June 13, 2009 Leiden 5,000 m 13:37.33 July 18, 2009 Heusden 10,000 m 28:52.58 June 6, 2009 Ribeira Brava

Road Distance Mark Date Location 10,000 m 28:48 February 10, 2008 Schoorl 10 Eng. miles 48:47 September 23, 2007 Zaandam Half marathon 1:02:33 March 11, 2012 The Hague Marathon 2:09:58 October 21, 2012 Amsterdam