Azmeraw Bekele
Encyclopedia
Azmeraw Bekele Molalign (born 22 January 1986) is an Ethiopia
n long-distance runner who competes in road running
and cross country running
competitions.
He first came to prominence in 2010, which began with a successful cross country season. Representing the Federal Prisons team, he won at the Sululta Cross Country, set a race record of 1:00:57 hours at the Marrakech Half Marathon. and then took a surprise victory at the Jan Meda Cross Country, which served as the national selection event for the 2010 IAAF World Cross Country Championships
. At the world event he finished in 21st position, helping the Ethiopian men's team (including Gebregziabher Gebremariam, Abera Kuma
and Hunegnaw Mesfin
) to the bronze medal
.
Later that season, he switched his focus to road events and won the Corrida de Langueux
10K in 28:13 minutes (the second-fastest ever on the course). He won the national 30 km championships at the end of October and secured the Great Ethiopian Run
10K title a month later. He returned to France the following week and made his marathon
debut, finishing as runner-up at the Marathon De La Rochelle
with a time of 2:10:25 hours. He began his 2011 season on the roads, just missing out on a win at the City-Pier-City Loop
behind compatriot Lelisa Desisa
, although he set a personal best time of 59:39 minutes for the half marathon
. He was also the runner-up at the Prague Half Marathon
three weeks later.
He claimed his first national title on the track
at the 40th Ethiopian Athletics Championships, defeating Dino Sefer in the 10,000 metres. He ran at the Marseille-Cassis Classique Internationale
and was leading mid-race but stopped short after mistaking a timing mat for the finish line. Upon realising his error, he began running again but the stoppage had allowed Atsede Tsegay to take the lead and he ended up in second 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 competes 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...
and 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...
competitions.
He first came to prominence in 2010, which began with a successful cross country season. Representing the Federal Prisons team, he won at the Sululta Cross Country, set a race record of 1:00:57 hours at the Marrakech Half Marathon. and then took a surprise victory at the Jan Meda Cross Country, which served as the national selection event for the 2010 IAAF World Cross Country Championships
2010 IAAF World Cross Country Championships
The 2010 IAAF World Cross Country Championships were held at Myślęcinek Park in Bydgoszcz, Poland on 28 March 2010. It was the first time in over twenty years that Poland hosted the annual championships, having previously held them in Warsaw in 1987. Kenyan runners dominated the competition, taking...
. At the world event he finished in 21st position, helping the Ethiopian men's team (including Gebregziabher Gebremariam, Abera Kuma
Abera Kuma
Abera Kuma Lema is an Ethiopian long distance runner who competes in track, cross country and road running events. An African junior champion over 5000 metres, he won his first senior international medal at the 2010 IAAF World Cross Country Championships.He was disqualified at the 2011 event for...
and Hunegnaw Mesfin
Hunegnaw Mesfin
Hunegnaw Mesfin is an Ethiopian long-distance runner who competes in cross country and track running events...
) to the bronze medal
Bronze medal
A bronze medal is a medal awarded to the third place finisher of contests such as the Olympic Games, Commonwealth Games, etc. The practice of awarding bronze third place medals began at the 1904 Olympic Games in St...
.
Later that season, he switched his focus to road events and won the Corrida de Langueux
Corrida de Langueux
The Corrida de Langueux is an annual 10 kilometres road running competition which is held in Langueux, Brittany, France every June. The competition is organised by the Union Athlétique Langueux. The elite 10K races for men and women have IAAF Bronze Label Road Race status...
10K in 28:13 minutes (the second-fastest ever on the course). He won the national 30 km championships at the end of October and secured the Great Ethiopian Run
Great Ethiopian Run
The Great Ethiopian Run is an annual 10-kilometre road running event which takes place in late November in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.The competition was first envisioned by neighbors Ethiopian runner Haile Gebrselassie, Peter Middlebrook and Abi Masefield in late October 2000, following Haile's return...
10K title a month later. He returned to France the following week and made his 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...
debut, finishing as runner-up at the Marathon De La Rochelle
Marathon de La Rochelle
The Marathon de La Rochelle is an annual road running event which takes place in late November in La Rochelle, France. It features a full 42.195 km marathon race as well a 10 km race for amateur runners, a half marathon for wheelchair athletes, and a recreational 4 km jog around the...
with a time of 2:10:25 hours. He began his 2011 season on the roads, just missing out on a win at the City-Pier-City Loop
City-Pier-City Loop
The CPC Loop Den Haag is an annual half marathon competition held in the Hague, Netherlands, every mid-March....
behind compatriot Lelisa Desisa
Lelisa Desisa
Lelisa Desisa Benti is an Ethiopian long-distance runner who specialises in road running competitions. He gained his first international medal at the 2009 African Junior Athletics Championships, where he took the 10,000 metres gold medal.Desisa made his breakthrough on to the senior international...
, although he set a personal best time of 59:39 minutes for the 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...
. He was also the runner-up at the Prague Half Marathon
Prague Half Marathon
The Prague Half Marathon is an annual half marathon road running event which takes place in Spring on the city streets of Prague, Czech Republic. Known as the Hervis Prague Half Marathon for sponsorship reasons, it holds IAAF Gold Label Road Race status, making it the foremost race of its type in...
three weeks later.
He claimed his first national title on the track
Track and field
Track and field is a sport comprising various competitive athletic contests based around the activities of running, jumping and throwing. The name of the sport derives from the venue for the competitions: a stadium which features an oval running track surrounding a grassy area...
at the 40th Ethiopian Athletics Championships, defeating Dino Sefer in the 10,000 metres. He ran at the Marseille-Cassis Classique Internationale
Marseille-Cassis Classique Internationale
The Marseille-Cassis Classique Internationale is an annual half marathon which follows a course from Marseille to Cassis in France during the last weekend in October. First organised by the SCO Sainte-Marguerite sports club in 1979, the event has grown into a large international competition, with...
and was leading mid-race but stopped short after mistaking a timing mat for the finish line. Upon realising his error, he began running again but the stoppage had allowed Atsede Tsegay to take the lead and he ended up in second place.
Personal bests
- 10K - 27:43 minutes (2010)
- Half marathon - 59:39 minutes (2011)
- Marathon - 2:10:25 hours (2010)