Aberu Kebede
Encyclopedia
Aberu Kebede Shewaye (born 12 September 1989) is an Ethiopia
n long distance runner who specialises in road running
competitions. Her half marathon
best of 1:07:39 is one of the fastest ever by an Ethiopian woman. She gained a bronze at the 2009 IAAF World Half Marathon Championships
with the performance and has won at the Berlin Marathon
, Stramilano Half Marathon and the Rotterdam Marathon
.
, Ethiopia, she made her first appearances in cross country running
. Having come third in the junior race at the 2007 Jan Meda Cross Country International, she qualified for the 2007 IAAF World Cross Country Championships
, where she finished in 16th in the junior women's race. She was fourth at the 2008 Women First 5K in Addis Ababa
.
She won the Stramilano Half Marathon in April 2009 and, pleased at having set a course record and personal best of 1:08:43, she turned her attention to the Ethiopian Championships. She scored a national title in the 10,000 metres at the Ethiopian Athletics Championships in May, beating Mamitu Daska
and Werknesh Kidane
to the domestic honours. Later that month, she ran at the World 10K Bangalore
and was beaten by a few seconds, eventually finishing in third. She improved her 10,000 m best in Utrecht
in June, setting a time of 30:48.26. She was selected for the 2009 World Championships in Athletics
, but ultimately did not compete.
Aberu ran at the Women's 5K Challenge in London
and took third again in another close finish. Running at her first senior championships, she led with Mary Keitany for much of the 2009 IAAF World Half Marathon Championships
. Eventually Keitany broke away and Aberu ended up with a bronze after losing out on a sprint finish against Philes Ongori
. Still, she managed to improve her best to a time of 1:07:39 and lead the Ethiopian women to the team silver medal. This time made her the second fastest Ethiopian woman over the distance after Dire Tune
. In November, she finished in 1:07:59 for third at the Delhi Half Marathon, again behind Keitany who broke the course record.
Aberu opened the year with a debut over the marathon distance. At the Dubai Marathon
she was beaten by Mamitu Daska to the US$250,000 prize pot, but she still managed second place on her debut, recording a time of 2:24:26. She made a strong start to the 2010 Rotterdam Marathon
and never relinquished the lead, winning in a time of 2:25:25. She led the Berlin Marathon
with a front-running performance, beating fellow Ethiopian Bezunesh Bekele
to win the race. She set a new best time of 2:23:58 and ran the second half of the race faster than her first, crossing the line a minute ahead of the opposition. She was out-done in a sprint finish at the Delhi Half Marathon in November, taking fourth place four seconds behind race winner Aselefech Mergia
. She topped the podium at the 2011 Lisbon Half Marathon
, beating Ana Dulce Felix
to the line. At that year's London Marathon
she was among the leading runners but was overtaken by a number of rivals in the latter stages and ended up in ninth place.
Ethiopia
Ethiopia , officially known as the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. It is the second-most populous nation in Africa, with over 82 million inhabitants, and the tenth-largest by area, occupying 1,100,000 km2...
n long distance runner who specialises in road running
Road running
Road running is the sport of running on a measured course over an established road . These events would be classified as long distance according to athletics terminology, with distances typically ranging from 5 kilometers to 42.2 kilometers in the marathon. They may involve large numbers of runners...
competitions. Her half marathon
Half marathon
A half marathon is a road running event of . It is half the distance of a marathon and usually run on roads. Participation in half marathons has grown steadily recently. One of the main reasons for this is that it is a challenging distance, but does not require the same level of training that a...
best of 1:07:39 is one of the fastest ever by an Ethiopian woman. She gained a bronze at the 2009 IAAF World Half Marathon Championships
2009 IAAF World Half Marathon Championships
The 2009 IAAF World Half Marathon Championships was held in Birmingham, United Kingdom on 11 October 2009. It was the final event of the International Association of Athletics Federations' 2009 World Athletics Series.-Organisation:...
with the performance and has won at the Berlin Marathon
Berlin Marathon
The Berlin Marathon is a major running and sporting event held annually in Berlin, Germany. The official marathon distance of 42.195 kilometers is set up as a city-wide road race where professional athletes and amateur runners jointly participate...
, Stramilano Half Marathon and the Rotterdam Marathon
Rotterdam Marathon
The Rotterdam Marathon is an annual marathon that has been held in Rotterdam, the Netherlands since 1981. It has been held in April of every year since the third edition in 1984, and attracts many top athletes. It has also been ranked as one of the top 10 marathons in the world by Runner's World...
.
Career
Born in ShewaShewa
Shewa is a historical region of Ethiopia, formerly an autonomous kingdom within the Ethiopian Empire...
, Ethiopia, she made her first appearances in cross country running
Cross country running
Cross country running is a sport in which people run a race on open-air courses over natural terrain. The course, typically long, may include surfaces of grass and earth, pass through woodlands and open country, and include hills, flat ground and sometimes gravel road...
. Having come third in the junior race at the 2007 Jan Meda Cross Country International, she qualified for the 2007 IAAF World Cross Country Championships
2007 IAAF World Cross Country Championships
The 35th IAAF World Cross Country Championships were held in Mombasa, Kenya on 24 March, 2007. Four races took place, one for men, women, junior men and junior women respectively. All races encompassed both individual and team competition...
, where she finished in 16th in the junior women's race. She was fourth at the 2008 Women First 5K in Addis Ababa
Addis Ababa
Addis Ababa is the capital city of Ethiopia...
.
She won the Stramilano Half Marathon in April 2009 and, pleased at having set a course record and personal best of 1:08:43, she turned her attention to the Ethiopian Championships. She scored a national title in the 10,000 metres at the Ethiopian Athletics Championships in May, beating Mamitu Daska
Mamitu Daska
Mamitu Daska Molisa , also known as Mamitu Deska, is an Ethiopian long-distance runner who specialises in road running events, including the marathon. She is a two-time team silver medallist at the IAAF World Cross Country Championships...
and Werknesh Kidane
Werknesh Kidane
Werknesh Kidane , is an Ethiopian long distance running athlete who competes in both 5000 and 10,000 metres. She has won numerous medals at the IAAF World Cross Country Championships and represented Ethiopia at the Summer Olympics in 2000 and 2004...
to the domestic honours. Later that month, she ran at the World 10K Bangalore
World 10K Bangalore
The World 10K Bangalore is an annual 10 kilometres road running competition which takes place in Bangalore, India. The competition was first held in 2008 and usually takes place in late May...
and was beaten by a few seconds, eventually finishing in third. She improved her 10,000 m best in Utrecht
Utrecht (city)
Utrecht city and municipality is the capital and most populous city of the Dutch province of Utrecht. It is located in the eastern corner of the Randstad conurbation, and is the fourth largest city of the Netherlands with a population of 312,634 on 1 Jan 2011.Utrecht's ancient city centre features...
in June, setting a time of 30:48.26. She was selected for the 2009 World Championships in Athletics
2009 World Championships in Athletics
The 12th IAAF World Championships in Athletics were held in Berlin, Germany from 15–23 August 2009. The majority of events took place in the Olympiastadion, while the marathon and racewalking events started and finished at the Brandenburg Gate....
, but ultimately did not compete.
Aberu ran at the Women's 5K Challenge in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
and took third again in another close finish. Running at her first senior championships, she led with Mary Keitany for much of the 2009 IAAF World Half Marathon Championships
2009 IAAF World Half Marathon Championships
The 2009 IAAF World Half Marathon Championships was held in Birmingham, United Kingdom on 11 October 2009. It was the final event of the International Association of Athletics Federations' 2009 World Athletics Series.-Organisation:...
. Eventually Keitany broke away and Aberu ended up with a bronze after losing out on a sprint finish against Philes Ongori
Philes Ongori
Philes Moora Ongori is a Kenyan long-distance runner who competes in half marathon and marathon events....
. Still, she managed to improve her best to a time of 1:07:39 and lead the Ethiopian women to the team silver medal. This time made her the second fastest Ethiopian woman over the distance after Dire Tune
Dire Tune
Dire Tune is an Ethiopian long-distance runner.Tune competed in the marathon at the 2005 World Championships. At the 2006 World Road Running Championships she finished fourth in the individual competition. This was good enough to help Ethiopia win a silver medal in the team competition.On April 21,...
. In November, she finished in 1:07:59 for third at the Delhi Half Marathon, again behind Keitany who broke the course record.
Aberu opened the year with a debut over the marathon distance. At the Dubai Marathon
Dubai Marathon
The Dubai Marathon is an annual marathon running race held in Dubai in the United Arab Emirates.The race is held in January each year, the first being run on 14 January 2000...
she was beaten by Mamitu Daska to the US$250,000 prize pot, but she still managed second place on her debut, recording a time of 2:24:26. She made a strong start to the 2010 Rotterdam Marathon
Rotterdam Marathon
The Rotterdam Marathon is an annual marathon that has been held in Rotterdam, the Netherlands since 1981. It has been held in April of every year since the third edition in 1984, and attracts many top athletes. It has also been ranked as one of the top 10 marathons in the world by Runner's World...
and never relinquished the lead, winning in a time of 2:25:25. She led the Berlin Marathon
Berlin Marathon
The Berlin Marathon is a major running and sporting event held annually in Berlin, Germany. The official marathon distance of 42.195 kilometers is set up as a city-wide road race where professional athletes and amateur runners jointly participate...
with a front-running performance, beating fellow Ethiopian Bezunesh Bekele
Bezunesh Bekele
Bezunesh Bekele is an Ethiopian long-distance runner who specializes in cross-country running and marathons.She was born in the Ethiopian capital of Addis Ababa...
to win the race. She set a new best time of 2:23:58 and ran the second half of the race faster than her first, crossing the line a minute ahead of the opposition. She was out-done in a sprint finish at the Delhi Half Marathon in November, taking fourth place four seconds behind race winner Aselefech Mergia
Aselefech Mergia
Aselefech Mergia Medessa is an Ethiopian long-distance runner.She began taking part in professional road races in 2006, starting with a seventh place finish at the Delhi Half Marathon....
. She topped the podium at the 2011 Lisbon Half Marathon
Lisbon Half Marathon
First held in 1991, the race has consistently delivered fast winning times. However, many of these times have been unratifiable for record purposes due to factors including: the course being too short , excessive tailwinds, as well as there being an excessive drop in altitude, which boosted...
, beating Ana Dulce Felix
Ana Dulce Félix
Ana Dulce Félix is a long distance runner who competes in track, cross country, and road running events.Born in Azurém, Guimarães Municipality, Portugal, Félix began her career as a junior at the 2000 and 2001 IAAF World Cross Country Championships, although she did not break the top 60 runners on...
to the line. At that year's London Marathon
2011 London Marathon
The 2011 London Marathon took place on Sunday, 17 April 2011. The men's elite race saw Emmanuel Mutai win in a course record time to become the fourth fastest ever over the distance. Runner-up Martin Lel sprinted to the line to beat Patrick Makau, completing a Kenyan sweep of the podium...
she was among the leading runners but was overtaken by a number of rivals in the latter stages and ended up in ninth place.
Personal bests
| Event | Time (h:m:s) | Venue | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10,000 metres | 30:48.26 | Utrecht Utrecht (city) Utrecht city and municipality is the capital and most populous city of the Dutch province of Utrecht. It is located in the eastern corner of the Randstad conurbation, and is the fourth largest city of the Netherlands with a population of 312,634 on 1 Jan 2011.Utrecht's ancient city centre features... , Netherlands |
14 June 2009 |
| 10 kilometres | 31:05 | Birmingham Birmingham Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a... , United Kingdom |
11 October 2009 |
| 20 kilometres Road running Road running is the sport of running on a measured course over an established road . These events would be classified as long distance according to athletics terminology, with distances typically ranging from 5 kilometers to 42.2 kilometers in the marathon. They may involve large numbers of runners... |
1:03:57 | Birmingham Birmingham Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a... , United Kingdom |
11 October 2009 |
| Half marathon Half marathon A half marathon is a road running event of . It is half the distance of a marathon and usually run on roads. Participation in half marathons has grown steadily recently. One of the main reasons for this is that it is a challenging distance, but does not require the same level of training that a... |
1:07:39 | Birmingham Birmingham Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a... , United Kingdom |
11 October 2009 |
| Marathon Marathon The marathon is a long-distance running event with an official distance of 42.195 kilometres , that is usually run as a road race... |
2:23:58 | Berlin Berlin Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union... , Germany |
26 September 2010 |
- All information taken from IAAF profile.
Competition record
| 2007 | World Cross Country Championships 2007 IAAF World Cross Country Championships The 35th IAAF World Cross Country Championships were held in Mombasa, Kenya on 24 March, 2007. Four races took place, one for men, women, junior men and junior women respectively. All races encompassed both individual and team competition... |
Mombasa Mombasa Mombasa is the second-largest city in Kenya. Lying next to the Indian Ocean, it has a major port and an international airport. The city also serves as the centre of the coastal tourism industry.... , Kenya |
16th | Junior race | Individual |
| 2009 | World Half Marathon Championships 2009 IAAF World Half Marathon Championships The 2009 IAAF World Half Marathon Championships was held in Birmingham, United Kingdom on 11 October 2009. It was the final event of the International Association of Athletics Federations' 2009 World Athletics Series.-Organisation:... |
Birmingham Birmingham Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a... , United Kingdom |
3rd | Half marathon | Individual |
| 2nd | Half marathon | Team |
Road race wins
- Stramilano Half Marathon: 2009
- Rotterdam MarathonRotterdam MarathonThe Rotterdam Marathon is an annual marathon that has been held in Rotterdam, the Netherlands since 1981. It has been held in April of every year since the third edition in 1984, and attracts many top athletes. It has also been ranked as one of the top 10 marathons in the world by Runner's World...
: 2010 - Berlin MarathonBerlin MarathonThe Berlin Marathon is a major running and sporting event held annually in Berlin, Germany. The official marathon distance of 42.195 kilometers is set up as a city-wide road race where professional athletes and amateur runners jointly participate...
: 2010