Koren Jelela
Encyclopedia
Koren Jelela, also known as Koren Jelila Yal, (born 18 January 1987 in Shewa
) is an Ethiopia
n long-distance runner.
At the 2007 World Cross Country Championships
she finished nineteenth in the senior race. With four Ethiopian runners ahead of her she missed out for a place on the victorious Ethiopian team. The same thing happened in 2008
, when Jelela finished fourteenth individually. She was less successful at the 2009 edition
, as she finished in 30th place. She chose to move away from cross country running
and switch her focus to the road
. On her debut over the marathon
distance at the Venice Marathon
in 2009, she finished as the runner-up with a time of 2:28:41 hours, second to veteran Kenyan athlete Anne Kosgei
. That November she entered the Great Ethiopian Run
held in Addis Ababa
and won the 10 km race with a course record time of 33:03 minutes.
She competed at the RAK Half Marathon the following February and made the top ten with a run of 1:10:52. She was announced as one of the elite foreign competitors for the 2010 Boston Marathon in April, but she failed to match her Venice performance and finished in twelfth place some five minutes off her personal best pace. She made an appearance over 10 km at the World 10K Bangalore
the following month and took fourth position. In her second full distance race of the year, she came fourth at the Toronto Waterfront Marathon
with a best run of 2:24:33. She closed her year in Nigeria with a fifth place finish at the African Mountain Running Championships hosted by the Obudo Ranch Race
that November.
She opened 2011 at the Mumbai Marathon
and she won in course record time. Her mark of 2:26:56 was also the fastest marathon ever run by a woman in India. In April she took on the Paris Marathon
and placed top-three behind Kenyans Priscah Jeptoo
and Agnes Kiprop
. She returned to India for the World 10K Bangalore
and finished just outside of the top three behind Belaynesh Oljira
in an Ethiopian sweep of the top four. She was a back-up runner for the Ethiopian team at the 2011 World Championships in Athletics
, but ultimately did not compete. In October she won the Toronto Waterfront Marathon
ahead of her compatriot Mare Dibaba
– Koren reached the halway mark in a quick time of 1:08:38 hours, but slowed in the second half to finish the race in a personal best time of 2:22:43 hours.
Shewa
Shewa is a historical region of Ethiopia, formerly an autonomous kingdom within the Ethiopian Empire...
) is an Ethiopia
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.
At the 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...
she finished nineteenth in the senior race. With four Ethiopian runners ahead of her she missed out for a place on the victorious Ethiopian team. The same thing happened in 2008
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...
, when Jelela finished fourteenth individually. She was less successful at the 2009 edition
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...
, as she finished in 30th place. She chose to move away from 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...
and switch her focus to the road
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...
. On her debut over the 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...
distance at the Venice Marathon
Venice Marathon
The Venice Marathon is a marathon road race that has been held each year in Venice since 1986, usually in October. The race is currently sponsored by Casino di Venezia , and thus it is known as the Casino di Venezia Venice Marathon. Ponte della Libertà and Parco San Giuliano are among the landmarks...
in 2009, she finished as the runner-up with a time of 2:28:41 hours, second to veteran Kenyan athlete Anne Kosgei
Anne Kosgei
Anne Jepkemboi Kosgei is a Kenyan long-distance runner who specialises in road running, including the marathon. She has won her first marathon races in San Sebastián and Trieste, and went on to win both the Belgrade Marathon and Venice Marathon in 2009...
. That November she entered 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...
held in Addis Ababa
Addis Ababa
Addis Ababa is the capital city of Ethiopia...
and won the 10 km race with a course record time of 33:03 minutes.
She competed at the RAK Half Marathon the following February and made the top ten with a run of 1:10:52. She was announced as one of the elite foreign competitors for the 2010 Boston Marathon in April, but she failed to match her Venice performance and finished in twelfth place some five minutes off her personal best pace. She made an appearance over 10 km 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...
the following month and took fourth position. In her second full distance race of the year, she came fourth at the Toronto Waterfront Marathon
Toronto Waterfront Marathon
The Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon is an annual marathon held in Toronto, Ontario, Canada on the last Sunday in September. Starting from 2011, the marathon will be held in October. The race day also includes a half marathon and 5 km race....
with a best run of 2:24:33. She closed her year in Nigeria with a fifth place finish at the African Mountain Running Championships hosted by the Obudo Ranch Race
Obudu Ranch International Mountain Race
The Obudu Ranch International Mountain Race is an annual 11.25 km mountain running competition that takes place in late November in Obudu, Cross River State, Nigeria. First held in 2005, it has the largest total prize-money available of any mountain race and is known as "the world's richest...
that November.
She opened 2011 at the Mumbai Marathon
Mumbai Marathon
The Mumbai Marathon is an annual international road running competition over the marathon distance that is held in Mumbai, India, each January. The course records set in 2011 were also the fastest times ever run for the marathon on Indian soil – 2:09:54 by Girma Assefa and 2:26:56 by the women's...
and she won in course record time. Her mark of 2:26:56 was also the fastest marathon ever run by a woman in India. In April she took on the Paris Marathon
Paris Marathon
The Paris International Marathon is an annual marathon which takes place from the Champs-Élysées heading towards the Place de la Concorde and continuing through the city to finish at Foch Avenue....
and placed top-three behind Kenyans Priscah Jeptoo
Priscah Jeptoo
Priscah Jeptoo is a Kenyan long-distance runner who specialises in the marathon. She has won marathons in Paris and Turin and has a best time of 2:22:55 for the distance...
and Agnes Kiprop
Agnes Kiprop
Agnes Jepkemoi Kiprop is a Kenyan long-distance runner who competes in marathon events.Born in Marakwet, Kenya, her international debut came as a junior runner at the 1997 IAAF World Cross Country Championships, where she was one of six Kenyan youngsters in the top ten of the junior women's race...
. She returned to India for 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 finished just outside of the top three behind Belaynesh Oljira
Belaynesh Oljira
Belaynesh Oljira is an Ethiopian long-distance runner who competes mainly in 10K and half marathon races. She represented her country at the IAAF World Cross Country Championships in 2011....
in an Ethiopian sweep of the top four. She was a back-up runner for the Ethiopian team 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....
, but ultimately did not compete. In October she won the Toronto Waterfront Marathon
Toronto Waterfront Marathon
The Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon is an annual marathon held in Toronto, Ontario, Canada on the last Sunday in September. Starting from 2011, the marathon will be held in October. The race day also includes a half marathon and 5 km race....
ahead of her compatriot Mare Dibaba
Mare Dibaba
Mare Dibaba Hurrsa is an Ethiopian long-distance runner who competes in road running events.Her first high profile outing came at the Ethiopian 20 km championships in 2007 and she took sixth place, running for Oromia Police...
– Koren reached the halway mark in a quick time of 1:08:38 hours, but slowed in the second half to finish the race in a personal best time of 2:22:43 hours.
Personal bests
- 3000 metres3000 metresThe 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...
- 9:12.26 min (2007) - 5000 metres5000 metresThe 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...
- 15:51.81 min (2007) - 10 km (road) - 31:55 min (2010)
- Half marathonHalf marathonA 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...
- 1:08:38 hrs (2011) - MarathonMarathonThe marathon is a long-distance running event with an official distance of 42.195 kilometres , that is usually run as a road race...
- 2:22:43 hrs (2011)