Athletics in Ethiopia
Ethiopia has enjoyed a rich tradition of producing some of the world's fastest distance runners over past decades. The country has had a healthy rivalry with East African neighbours Kenya and this has spurred each nation on to achieve quicker times on both and track and road. 

Abebe Bikila was the star of marathon running during the 1960s, winning gold at the 1960 and 1964 Olympics and setting a World Record at the latter Games (2:12:11).


Magical Moment

When Kenenisa Bekele broke his own 10,000m World Record in Brussels in August 2005 at the Golden League meeting, it was one of the performances that will stick in the memories of all those present for many years. His 26:17.53 winning time has not been approached by anyone ever since. In fact the closest any runner has come since was Micah Kogo's 26:35.63 - a full 18 seconds adrift of Kenenisa's mark.


Current Stars
Haile Gebrselassie and Kenenisa Bekele can rightly claim to be the dominant forces in global distance running over the last decade - particularly on the track, where they hold the all-time fastest times over both 5000m and 10,000m. Meseret Defar is in her racing prime and has been World and Olympic 5000m Champion as well as being in the exclusive sub-30-minute club for the 10,000m having run 29:59.20. Tsegay Kebede epitomises consistency in the marathon and rarely runs a poor race, always being around the 2:05 - 2:06 mark. Tirunesh Dibaba won double gold in Beijing over 5000m/10,000m and is one of the world's greatest distance runners in history, holding the current 5000m World Record at a staggering 14:11.15. She took Olympic gold over 10,000m at the 2012 Olympics
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International Medallists
Below is a list of Ethiopian medalists in major championships and the Olympic Games.


Olympic Games

Gold:

 
Abebe Bikila Marathon- Rome’60 and Marathon- Tokyo’64
Mamo Wolde Marathon- Mexico City’ 68
Miruts Yifter 5000m and 10000m- Moscow’80
Derartu Tulu 10000m- Barcelona’92 and 10000m- Sydney’2000
Fatuma Roba Marathon- Atlanta’96
Haile Gebrselassie 10000m- Atlanta’92 and 10000m- Sydney’2000
Million Wolde 5000m- Sydney’2000
Gezhagne Abera Marathon- Sydney’2000
Kenenisa Bekele 10000m- Athens’2004
Meseret Defar 5000m- Athens’2004
   

Silver:

 
Mamo Wolde 10000m- Mexico City’1968
Gete Wami 10000m- Sydney’2000
Sileshi Sihine 10000m- Athens’2004
Ejegayehou Dibaba 10000m- Athens’2004
Kenenisa Bekele 5000m- Athens’2004
   

Bronze:

 
Miruts Yifter 10000m- Munich’72
Mamo Wolde Marathon- Munich’1972
Eshetu Tura 3000m Steeplechase- Moscow’80
Addis Abebe 10000m- Barcelona’92
Fita Bayissa 5000m- Barcelona’92
Gete Wami 10000m- Atlanta’96
Gete Wami 5000m- Sydney’2000
Tesfaye Tola Marathon- Sydney’2000
Assefa Mezgebu 10000m- Sydney’2000
Derartu Tulu 10000m- Athens’2004
Tirunesh Dibaba 5000m- Athens’2004
   


IAAF World Championships

Gold:

 
Haile Gebrselassie 10000m- Stuttgart’93, Gothenburg’95, Sevilla’97, Athens’99
Gete Wami 10000m- Athens’99
Derartu Tulu 10000m- Edmonton 2001
Gezhagne Abera Marathon- Edmonton 2001
Tirunesh Dibaba 5000m- Paris 2003, Helsinki 2005; 10000m- Helsinki 2005
Berhane Adere 10000m- Paris 2003
Kenenisa Bekele 10000m- Paris 2003; Helsinki 2005
   

Silver:

 
Wedajo Bulti Marathon- Helsinki’83
Fita Bayissa 5000m- Tokyo’91
Haile Gebrselassie 5000m- Stuttgart’93; 10000m- Paris 2003
Derartu Tulu 10000m- Gothenburg’95
Berhane Adere 10000m- Edmonton 2001, Helsinki 2005
Werknesh Kidane 10000m- Paris 2003
Sileshi Sihine 5000m and 10000m- Helsinki 2005
Meseret Defar 5000m- Helsinki 2005
   

Bronze:

 
Haile Gebrselassie 10000m- Edmonton’2001
Kutre Dulecha 1500m- Athens 1999
Ayelech Worku 5000m- Edmonton 2001
Million Wolde 5000m- Edmonton 2001
Sileshi Sihine 10000m- Paris 2003
Ejegayehou Dibaba 5000m and 10000m- Helsinki 2005

 

 
 
 
 
 
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