Hunegnaw Mesfin
Encyclopedia
Hunegnaw Mesfin is an Ethiopia
n long-distance runner who competes in cross country
and track running events. He has represented his country at the IAAF World Cross Country Championships
and won medals in the senior and junior team categories.
Mesfin won his first major medal at the 2007 African Junior Championships in Athletics, taking the 10,000 metres silver medal
behind Kenya's Mathew Kisorio
. His first year of global competition came in 2008. He was eleventh in the junior race at the 2008 IAAF World Cross Country Championships
– a performance which helped Ethiopia to the team silver medals. He just missed out on a medal at the 2008 World Junior Championships in Athletics
, finishing fourth behind fellow Ethiopian Ibrahim Jeilan
. He competed for Ethiopia at the International Chiba Ekiden
and won his race stage, helping the national team to the title. He ended the year with a third place finish at the inaugural Bahir Dar Cross Country.
Mesfin started 2009 with a win at the Sululta Cross Country in the junior section. He competed as a senior at the 2009 IAAF World Cross Country Championships
, however, and his tenth place performance brought the Ethiopian men second place in the team rankings. He began to compete on the senior European cross country circuit at the end of that year and took a significant victory at the Cross Internacional Zornotza in January 2010, coming out on top of a photo finish
with Gebre Gebremariam, the reigning world champion. He celebrated his 21st birthday with a second high profile victory, this time at the Cinque Mulini
. In spite of these performances, he failed to match his placing of the previous year at the 2010 IAAF World Cross Country Championships
, where he ended the race in the nineteenth place as Ethiopia took the bronze behind Kenya
and Eritrea
.
He gave a strong performance at the Jan Meda Cross Country in February 2011, surprising the more established Imane Merga
with a burst of speed to win his first national senior title. However, it was his compatriot who took the title at the 2011 IAAF World Cross Country Championships
while Mesfin faded in the latter stages and came eighth, although he and Imane led the Ethiopian's to second in the team rankings. He began to compete on the European road circuit that year and was third at the Giro Media Blenio
10K in April, setting a time of 28:33 minutes. He ran a 5000 m personal best of 13:38.92 minutes at the Athletissima
meet in June and made his debut over the half marathon
at the Udine Half Marathon, coming sixth in a time of 1:02:00 hours.
His 2011/2012 cross country season began with a third place finish at the Cross de Atapuerca
.
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 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...
and track running events. He has represented his country at the IAAF World Cross Country Championships
IAAF World Cross Country Championships
IAAF World Cross Country Championships is the most important competition in international cross country running. Held annually and organised by International Association of Athletics Federations , it was inaugurated in 1973, when it replaced the International Cross Country Championships...
and won medals in the senior and junior team categories.
Mesfin won his first major medal at the 2007 African Junior Championships in Athletics, taking the 10,000 metres 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....
behind Kenya's 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....
. His first year of global competition came in 2008. He was eleventh in the junior race at 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...
– a performance which helped Ethiopia to the team silver medals. He just missed out on a 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....
, finishing fourth behind fellow Ethiopian Ibrahim Jeilan
Ibrahim Jeilan
Ibrahim Jeilan Gashu is an Ethiopian long-distance runner who specialises in the 5000 metres and 10,000 metres on the track, as well as cross country running...
. He competed 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...
and won his race stage, helping the national team to the title. He ended the year with a third place finish at the inaugural Bahir Dar Cross Country.
Mesfin started 2009 with a win at the Sululta Cross Country in the junior section. He competed as a senior at the 2009 IAAF World Cross Country Championships
2009 IAAF World Cross Country Championships
The 37th IAAF World Cross Country Championships were held in the Al Bisharat Golf Course at Amman, Jordan on 28 March 2009. Four races took place, one for men, women, junior men and junior women respectively. All races encompassed both individual and team competition...
, however, and his tenth place performance brought the Ethiopian men second place in the team rankings. He began to compete on the senior European cross country circuit at the end of that year and took a significant victory at the Cross Internacional Zornotza in January 2010, coming out on top of a photo finish
Photo finish
A photo finish occurs in a sporting race, when two competitors cross the finishing line at near the same time. As the naked eye may not be able to discriminate between which of the competitors crossed the line first, a strip photo, a series of rapidly triggered photographs, or a video taken at the...
with Gebre Gebremariam, the reigning world champion. He celebrated his 21st birthday with a second high profile victory, this time at the Cinque Mulini
Cinque Mulini
The Cinque Mulini is an annual cross country running race in San Vittore Olona, Italy. First held in 1933, the course is unusual in that it revolves around a number of water mills, which lend the competition its name – meaning Five Mills in Italian. It is one of the IAAF cross country permit...
. In spite of these performances, he failed to match his placing of the previous year at 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...
, where he ended the race in the nineteenth place as Ethiopia took the bronze behind Kenya
Kenya
Kenya , officially known as the Republic of Kenya, is a country in East Africa that lies on the equator, with the Indian Ocean to its south-east...
and Eritrea
Eritrea
Eritrea , officially the State of Eritrea, is a country in the Horn of Africa. Eritrea derives it's name from the Greek word Erethria, meaning 'red land'. The capital is Asmara. It is bordered by Sudan in the west, Ethiopia in the south, and Djibouti in the southeast...
.
He gave a strong performance at the Jan Meda Cross Country in February 2011, surprising the more established 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...
with a burst of speed to win his first national senior title. However, it was his compatriot who took the title at the 2011 IAAF World Cross Country Championships
2011 IAAF World Cross Country Championships
The 2011 IAAF World Cross Country Championships were held in Punta Umbría, Spain on 20 March 2011.-Preparation:The United States had expressed an interest in hosting the competition, but Punta Umbria was chosen as the host at the IAAF Council Meeting in November 2009...
while Mesfin faded in the latter stages and came eighth, although he and Imane led the Ethiopian's to second in the team rankings. He began to compete on the European road circuit that year and was third at the Giro Media Blenio
Giro Media Blenio
The Giro Media Blenio is an annual road running event over 10 kilometres which takes place in April in the village of Dongio, Switzerland. It was created in honour of Markus Ryffel's silver medal in the 5000 metres at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics....
10K in April, setting a time of 28:33 minutes. He ran a 5000 m personal best of 13:38.92 minutes at the Athletissima
Athletissima
Athletissima is an annual athletics meeting at the Stade Olympique de la Pontaise in Lausanne, Switzerland. Previously one of the five IAAF Super Grand Prix events, it is now part of the IAAF Diamond League.The first edition was held on 8 July 1977....
meet in June and made his debut over 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...
at the Udine Half Marathon, coming sixth in a time of 1:02:00 hours.
His 2011/2012 cross country season began with a third place finish at the Cross de Atapuerca
Cross de Atapuerca
The Cross Internacional de Atapuerca is an annual cross country running competition that takes place in Atapuerca, Spain. Established in 2004, it takes place in early November and is among the first major competitions of the cross country season...
.