Dejen Gebremeskel
Encyclopedia
Dejen Gebremeskel is an Ethiopia
n long-distance runner who primarily competes in track events
. His personal best for the 5000 metres
is 12:53.56 minutes. He won the bronze medal
over that distance at the 2011 World Championships in Athletics
.
He won his first track medals as a junior, coming second at the African Junior Athletics Championships
, then taking the bronze medal at the 2008 World Junior Championships in Athletics
. He was a finalist at the 2010 IAAF World Indoor Championships
.
and took up running
as a child, representing his school. He began competing around the Tigray Region
and after establishing himself in local races, he moved to Addis Ababa
to train with the national team. He won his first international medal at the 2007 African Junior Athletics Championships, taking the silver medal
over 5000 metres
behind Mathew Kisorio
. He also competed abroad for the first time that year, running a personal best of 13:21.05 minutes to take sixth in the 5000 m at the Flanders Cup meeting in Brasschaat
. He ran for Ethiopia at the International Chiba Ekiden
in 2008 and helped the team to victory, running the fastest time for his leg of the road relay
.
Representing the Ethiopian Banks team, he won the junior title at the 2007 Addis Ababa cross country
race, beating Hunegnaw Mesfin
by a second. He was fourth in the junior category at the 2008 Ethiopian Cross Country Championships and was selected for the 2008 IAAF World Cross Country Championships
, where he finished 18th (just outside of the Ethiopian team which won the silver medal). Back on the track, he ran at the Adidas Track Classic
in May and set a new personal best of 13:08.96 minutes, second only to Ali Abdosh
. He was among the fastest entrants at the 2008 World Junior Championships in Athletics
and took the 5000 m bronze medal
while his compatriot Abreham Cherkos won the gold.
At the 2009 Ethiopian cross country trials in February, he came in third place. His main focus for the year was on track races and he had a successful transition into the senior ranks, winning at the Adidas Track Classic in May then improved his 5000 m best to 13:03.13 min by taking third at the Reebok Grand Prix
in New York
, where he was beaten only by Olympic medalists Micah Kogo
and Bernard Lagat
. He ran a 3000 metres
best of 7:58.69 m at the Prefontaine Classic
and came fourth at that year's London Grand Prix
.
Dejen competed indoors for the first time the following year and was second at the Boston Indoor Games
behind Lagat. He was also the runner-up at the Birmingham Indoor Grand Prix two weeks later and was selected to represent Ethiopia over 3000 m at the 2010 IAAF World Indoor Championships
. He ran the second fastest qualifying time (a personal best of 7:44.26 min), but did not perform as well in the event final, coming tenth. Outdoors, he was second at the Carlsbad 5000
, the Prefontaine Classic, and the DN Galan
(at which he ran a personal best of 12:53.56 min for the 5000 m).
He continued to focus on the track in 2011 and at the New Balance Indoor Grand Prix he defeated Mohammed Farah
in unusual circumstances – Dejen lost a shoe on the first lap of the race, but he persisted and won in a time of 7:35.37 minutes, one of the fastest 3000 m runs that year. He debuted over the 10K road distance
later that month and was runner-up to Sammy Kitwara
at the World's Best 10K with a time of 27:45 min. He won the Carlsbad 5K race in April, holding off Eliud Kipchoge
, and took his first win on the Diamond League circuit with a victory at the Adidas Grand Prix in New York City
. A run of 12:55.89 min at the Golden Gala
made him Ethiopia's second fastest 5000 m runner that season and he was selected for the national team for the 2011 World Championships in Athletics
. He comfortably progressed through the qualifying round and the 5000 m final
came down to a four-way battle between himself, Farah, Lagat and Imane Merga
. He was the last of the quartet to cross the line, but Imane Merga was disqualified after the medal ceremony as he had run outside of the track lanes. Dejen was promoted to the bronze medal, repeating his placing from the junior ranks three years previously.
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 primarily competes in track events
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...
. His personal best for the 5000 metres
5000 metres
The 5000 metres is a popular running distance also known as 5 km or 5K in American English. It is one of the track events in the Olympic Games and the World Championships in Athletics. "5000 metres" refers to racing on a track and "5K" usually refers to a roadrace or cross country event...
is 12:53.56 minutes. He won 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...
over that distance at the 2011 World Championships in Athletics
2011 World Championships in Athletics
The 13th IAAF World Championships in Athletics was an international athletics competition that was held in Daegu, South Korea. It started on 27 August 2011 and finished on 4 September 2011....
.
He won his first track medals as a junior, coming second at the African Junior Athletics Championships
African Junior Athletics Championships
The African Junior Athletics Championships is a biennial continental athletics event organized by the Confederation of African Athletics. First held in 1994, only athletes aged 19 or under are allowed to compete.- Summary of Championships :...
, then taking the bronze medal at the 2008 World Junior Championships in Athletics
2008 World Junior Championships in Athletics
The 2008 World Junior Championships in Athletics is the 2008 version of the World Junior Championships in Athletics. It was held in Bydgoszcz in Poland at the Zdzisław Krzyszkowiak Stadium between 8 and 13 July 2008....
. He was a finalist at the 2010 IAAF World Indoor Championships
2010 IAAF World Indoor Championships
The 2010 IAAF World Indoor Championships in Athletics was held between 12 and 14 March at the ASPIRE Dome in Doha, Qatar. The championships was the first of six IAAF World Athletics Series events to take place in 2010.-Bidding and organisation:...
.
Career
Dejen Gebremeskel grew up in the rural setting of Ethiopia's Gulo-Makeda woredaWoreda
Woreda is an administrative division of Ethiopia , equivalent to a district . Woredas are composed of a number of Kebele, or neighborhood associations, which are the smallest unit of local government in Ethiopia...
and took up running
Running
Running is a means of terrestrial locomotion allowing humans and other animals to move rapidly on foot. It is simply defined in athletics terms as a gait in which at regular points during the running cycle both feet are off the ground...
as a child, representing his school. He began competing around the Tigray Region
Tigray Region
Tigray Region is the northernmost of the nine ethnic regions of Ethiopia containing the homeland of the Tigray people. It was formerly known as Region 1...
and after establishing himself in local races, he moved to Addis Ababa
Addis Ababa
Addis Ababa is the capital city of Ethiopia...
to train with the national team. He won his first international medal at the 2007 African Junior Athletics Championships, taking the silver medal
Silver medal
A silver medal is a medal awarded to the second place finisher of contests such as the Olympic Games, Commonwealth Games, and contests with similar formats....
over 5000 metres
5000 metres
The 5000 metres is a popular running distance also known as 5 km or 5K in American English. It is one of the track events in the Olympic Games and the World Championships in Athletics. "5000 metres" refers to racing on a track and "5K" usually refers to a roadrace or cross country event...
behind Mathew Kisorio
Mathew Kisorio
Mathew Kipkoech Kisorio is a Kenyan long-distance runner.He was born in Kapchumba in Nandi North District as a son of runner Some Muge. His brothers Peter Kimeli Some and Nicholas Kipchirchir Togom are active runners as well....
. He also competed abroad for the first time that year, running a personal best of 13:21.05 minutes to take sixth in the 5000 m at the Flanders Cup meeting in Brasschaat
Brasschaat
Brasschaat is a municipality located in Flanders, one of the three regions of Belgium, and in the Flemish province of Antwerp. The municipality only comprises the town of Brasschaat proper. In November 2006, Brasschaat won the LivCom-Award 2006 for the most liveable municipality in the world....
. He ran for Ethiopia at the International Chiba Ekiden
International Chiba Ekiden
The International Chiba Ekiden is an annual team road running competition held in Chiba, Japan in late November. The marathon relay race, or ekiden as it is known in Japan, is one of the prominent annual races of its kind. The competition is split into six legs which combine to make up the marathon...
in 2008 and helped the team to victory, running the fastest time for his leg of the road relay
Ekiden
is a term referring to a long-distance relay running race, typically on roads. The Japanese term originally referred to a post-horse or stagecoach which transmitted communication by stages.-History:...
.
Representing the Ethiopian Banks team, he won the junior title at the 2007 Addis Ababa cross country
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...
race, beating Hunegnaw Mesfin
Hunegnaw Mesfin
Hunegnaw Mesfin is an Ethiopian long-distance runner who competes in cross country and track running events...
by a second. He was fourth in the junior category at the 2008 Ethiopian Cross Country Championships and was selected for the 2008 IAAF World Cross Country Championships
2008 IAAF World Cross Country Championships
The 36th IAAF World Cross Country Championships were held in the Holyrood Park at Edinburgh, Scotland on 30 March 2008. Four races took place, one for men, women, junior men and junior women respectively. All races encompassed both individual and team competition...
, where he finished 18th (just outside of the Ethiopian team which won the silver medal). Back on the track, he ran at the Adidas Track Classic
Adidas Track Classic
The Adidas Track Classic is an American track and field athletics meeting which has taken place annually in Carson, California since 2005. The meeting forms part of the USA Track & Field Visa Championship Series and is also one of the few area meetings where athletes can earn points to qualify for...
in May and set a new personal best of 13:08.96 minutes, second only to Ali Abdosh
Ali Abdosh
Ali Abdosh is an Ethiopian long-distance runner who specializes in the 5000 metres.He won the bronze medal at the 2008 African Championships, finished sixth at the 2009 World Championships and twelfth at the 2009 World Athletics Final.His personal best times are 12:56.53 minutes in the 5000...
. He was among the fastest entrants at the 2008 World Junior Championships in Athletics
2008 World Junior Championships in Athletics
The 2008 World Junior Championships in Athletics is the 2008 version of the World Junior Championships in Athletics. It was held in Bydgoszcz in Poland at the Zdzisław Krzyszkowiak Stadium between 8 and 13 July 2008....
and took the 5000 m 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...
while his compatriot Abreham Cherkos won the gold.
At the 2009 Ethiopian cross country trials in February, he came in third place. His main focus for the year was on track races and he had a successful transition into the senior ranks, winning at the Adidas Track Classic in May then improved his 5000 m best to 13:03.13 min by taking third at the Reebok Grand Prix
Reebok Grand Prix
The Adidas Grand Prix, formerly the Reebok Grand Prix, is an annual athletics meeting at the Icahn Stadium in New York City, United States. Previously one of the IAAF Grand Prix events, it is now part of the IAAF Diamond League.-World records:...
in New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, where he was beaten only by Olympic medalists Micah Kogo
Micah Kogo
Micah Kemboi Kogo is a Kenyan long-distance runner, who specializes in the 10,000 metres. He is the former world record holder in the 10 kilometres road race event with a time of 27:01, which he lost to countryman Leonard Komon on September 27, 2010...
and Bernard Lagat
Bernard Lagat
Bernard Kipchirchir Lagat is an American middle and long distance champion athlete.Lagat was born in Kapsabet, Kenya...
. He ran a 3000 metres
3000 metres
The 3000 metres is a popular amateur middle distance track event where 7.5 laps are completed around a 400 metre track. This event is generally classified as middle distance, but it could be classed as a long distance event in many high schools, since they do not promote races such as the 5000 and...
best of 7:58.69 m at the Prefontaine Classic
Prefontaine Classic
The Prefontaine Classic is one of the premier track and field meets in the United States. Every year it draws a world caliber field to compete at the University of Oregon's Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon.-History:...
and came fourth at that year's London Grand Prix
London Grand Prix
The Aviva London Grand Prix is an annual athletics event at the Crystal Palace National Sports Centre in London, England.Previously one of the five IAAF Super Grand Prix events, it is now part of the IAAF Diamond League...
.
Dejen competed indoors for the first time the following year and was second at the Boston Indoor Games
Boston Indoor Games
The Boston Indoor Games, known as the New Balance Indoor Grand Prix for sponsorship reasons, is an annual indoor track and field meet which is held in late January or early February at the Reggie Lewis Track and Athletic Center...
behind Lagat. He was also the runner-up at the Birmingham Indoor Grand Prix two weeks later and was selected to represent Ethiopia over 3000 m at the 2010 IAAF World Indoor Championships
2010 IAAF World Indoor Championships
The 2010 IAAF World Indoor Championships in Athletics was held between 12 and 14 March at the ASPIRE Dome in Doha, Qatar. The championships was the first of six IAAF World Athletics Series events to take place in 2010.-Bidding and organisation:...
. He ran the second fastest qualifying time (a personal best of 7:44.26 min), but did not perform as well in the event final, coming tenth. Outdoors, he was second at the Carlsbad 5000
Carlsbad 5000
The Carlsbad 5000 is an annual road running event over which is typically held in April in Carlsbad, California, United States.The event was first held in 1986 and is organized by the Competitor Group...
, the Prefontaine Classic, and the DN Galan
DN Galan
-External links:**...
(at which he ran a personal best of 12:53.56 min for the 5000 m).
He continued to focus on the track in 2011 and at the New Balance Indoor Grand Prix he defeated Mohammed Farah
Mohammed Farah
Mohammed "Mo" Farah is a Somalia-born British international track and field athlete. On the track, he generally competes over 5000 metres and 10,000 metres, but also runs the 3000 metres and occasionally the 1500 metres...
in unusual circumstances – Dejen lost a shoe on the first lap of the race, but he persisted and won in a time of 7:35.37 minutes, one of the fastest 3000 m runs that year. He debuted over the 10K road distance
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...
later that month and was runner-up to Sammy Kitwara
Sammy Kitwara
Sammy Kirop Kitwara is a Kenyan long-distance runner who specialises in road running events. He is coached by Moses Kiptanui....
at the World's Best 10K with a time of 27:45 min. He won the Carlsbad 5K race in April, holding off Eliud Kipchoge
Eliud Kipchoge
Eliud Kipchoge is a Kenyan long distance runner who has won medals at Olympic and World level....
, and took his first win on the Diamond League circuit with a victory at the Adidas Grand Prix in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. A run of 12:55.89 min at the Golden Gala
Golden Gala
Golden Gala is an annual track and field event at the Olympic Stadium in Rome, Italy. Previously one of the IAAF Golden League events, it is now part of the IAAF Diamond League.-History:...
made him Ethiopia's second fastest 5000 m runner that season and he was selected for the national team for the 2011 World Championships in Athletics
2011 World Championships in Athletics
The 13th IAAF World Championships in Athletics was an international athletics competition that was held in Daegu, South Korea. It started on 27 August 2011 and finished on 4 September 2011....
. He comfortably progressed through the qualifying round and the 5000 m final
2011 World Championships in Athletics – Men's 5000 metres
The men's 5000 metres at the 2011 World Championships in Athletics was held at the Daegu Stadium on September 1 and 4.Jake Robertson of New Zealand was added to the final field at the judges' discretion after twice being pushed in his qualifying race....
came down to a four-way battle between himself, Farah, Lagat and Imane Merga
Imane Merga
Imane Merga Jida is an Ethiopian long-distance runner who specializes in the 5000 and 10,000 metres. He won his first world title at the 2011 IAAF World Cross Country Championships...
. He was the last of the quartet to cross the line, but Imane Merga was disqualified after the medal ceremony as he had run outside of the track lanes. Dejen was promoted to the bronze medal, repeating his placing from the junior ranks three years previously.
Major competition record
| Representing | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | World Junior Championships 2008 World Junior Championships in Athletics The 2008 World Junior Championships in Athletics is the 2008 version of the World Junior Championships in Athletics. It was held in Bydgoszcz in Poland at the Zdzisław Krzyszkowiak Stadium between 8 and 13 July 2008.... |
Bydgoszcz, Poland | 3rd | 5000 m | ||
| 2010 | World Indoor Championships 2010 IAAF World Indoor Championships The 2010 IAAF World Indoor Championships in Athletics was held between 12 and 14 March at the ASPIRE Dome in Doha, Qatar. The championships was the first of six IAAF World Athletics Series events to take place in 2010.-Bidding and organisation:... |
Doha Doha Doha is the capital city of the state of Qatar. Located on the Persian Gulf, it had a population of 998,651 in 2008, and is also one of the municipalities of Qatar... , Qatar |
10th | 3000 m 2010 IAAF World Indoor Championships – Men's 3000 metres The men's 3000 metres at the 2010 IAAF World Indoor Championships was held at the ASPIRE Dome on 12 and 14 March.-Medalists:-Records:-Qualification standards:-Schedule:-Heats:... |
||
| 2011 | World Championships 2011 World Championships in Athletics The 13th IAAF World Championships in Athletics was an international athletics competition that was held in Daegu, South Korea. It started on 27 August 2011 and finished on 4 September 2011.... |
Daegu Daegu Daegu , also known as Taegu, and officially the Daegu Metropolitan City, is a city in South Korea, the fourth largest after Seoul, Busan, and Incheon, and the third largest metropolitan area in the country with over 2.5 million residents. The city is the capital and principal city of the... , South Korea South Korea The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south... |
3rd | 5000 m 2011 World Championships in Athletics – Men's 5000 metres The men's 5000 metres at the 2011 World Championships in Athletics was held at the Daegu Stadium on September 1 and 4.Jake Robertson of New Zealand was added to the final field at the judges' discretion after twice being pushed in his qualifying race.... |
13:23.92 | |