Amane Gobena
Encyclopedia
Amane Gobena Gemeda (born 11 September 1982) is an Ethiopia
n long-distance runner who competes primarily in road running
events. She began her international career in cross country running
and was part of the Ethiopian team which won the gold medal
in the short race at the 2002 IAAF World Cross Country Championships
. After modest performances on the track
, she found success by switching to road races in 2007.
The 2009 season saw marked improvement as she won the Cooper River Bridge Run
and Monument Avenue 10K
races. She then went on to take her first marathon
win at the Toronto Waterfront Marathon
, breaking the course record in only her third outing over the distance. She enjoyed success in East Asia at the start of 2010, winning both the Osaka Ladies Marathon and Seoul International Marathon
. Amane also gained her first major wins over other distances that year by taking first place at the Göteborgsvarvet
half marathon
and winning her first national title in the 10,000 metres.
and she finished eighth in the short race at the 2002 IAAF World Cross Country Championships
in Dublin, a placing which helped the women's Ethiopian team (including Werknesh Kidane
, Abebech Negussie
and Genet Gebregiorgis
) to the gold medal
in the team competition. She competed in track races in Europe in the 2003–2004 and among her performances was a 5000 metres
personal best of 15:19.50, set at the Grand Prix Regione Lombardia in 2004 where she finished fourth. That year she also represented her country at the World Cross Country Championships for a second time, although her eleventh place finish left her out of the top four Ethiopians who took the team gold.
She made her debut in the 10K in 2005 and took second place in a race in Ratingen
, finishing behind Teyba Erkesso
. She also ran at the Golden Spike Ostrava
meeting in June and placed fifth over 5000 m. After taking time out from athletics in 2006, she returned to focus on road races and enjoyed podium finishes in the United States
. She was runner-up at the Peachtree 10K and Bolder Boulder
races, as well as the Cooper River Bridge Run
, where she was beaten by her compatriot Rehima Kedir but set a personal best of 32:12 for the 10K. She also won the six-mile Nacht von Borgholzhausen race in Germany
in June that year.
In 2008 she took wins on the global road circuit at the Abu Dhabi
7K and the Wharf to Wharf 6-miler. Other performances included runner-up spots at the Freihofer's Run for Women
5K and Bolder Boulder. She stepped up to the half marathon
that year and ran the distance twice in France: she won the Le Lion Half Marathon in Montbéliard
(setting a best of 1:12:16) and also won another race in Vemux.
Amane made her debut in the marathon
in January 2009 at the Houston Marathon
and she managed to finish in fifth place. At the Ras Al Khaimah Half Marathon
the following month she set a personal best of 1:08:16 to take sixth place in the women's race. Her next outing came at the Los Angeles Marathon
in March and she headed to the front of the pack, but was overtaken by Tatyana Petrova
in the latter stages of the race. Still, her time of 2:26:53 for second place marked a successful transition to the longer distance. She competed extensively in the United States that summer, starting with wins at the Cooper River Bridge Run and Monument Avenue 10K
. A fifth place at the Peachtree Road Race was followed up by a third place finish at the Boilermaker Road Race
. Amane ran her third marathon of the year at the Toronto Waterfront Marathon
. She duelled against Mulu Seboka, another Ethiopian runner and the defending champion, in the earlier stages but then pulled away around the 40 km to earn her first win over the distance, breaking the course record with a run of 2:28:30 in the process. She brought a busy year to a close with two runs in September, taking eighth at the Delhi Half Marathon before securing the runner-up position behind Koreni Jelila at the Great Ethiopian Run
10K.
She soon returned to the starting line in 2010 and improved her best mark en-route to winning the Osaka Ladies Marathon in January, becoming the first Ethiopian ever to do so in almost thirty years of competition. An appearance at the Zayed International Half Marathon
came later in the month, but she was some way off winner Mary Keitany and finished in fifth. She continued her Asian tour at the Seoul International Marathon
and took her second victory of the year, outpacing Zhou Chunxiu
and setting a career best of 2:24:13 for the distance. Amane won her first national title at the Ethiopian Athletics Championships with a 10,000 metres track win over Genet Getaneh.
She gained her first high profile win in the half marathon at the Göteborgsvarvet
that May. She then returned to the United States for the summer circuit, running at the Freihofer's Run for Women (eighth) and the Bolder Boulder, where she completed an Ethiopian 1–2 behind Mamitu Daska
. She was third at the Istanbul Eurasia Marathon as her national rival Ashu Kasim won in a course record time. She won the Xiamen Marathon in January 2011 in her first race of the year. She attempted to defend her title in Seoul, but was unsuccessful as she ended the race in tenth 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 primarily 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...
events. She began her international career in 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 was part of the Ethiopian team which won the gold medal
Gold medal
A gold medal is typically the medal awarded for highest achievement in a non-military field. Its name derives from the use of at least a fraction of gold in form of plating or alloying in its manufacture...
in the short race at the 2002 IAAF World Cross Country Championships
2002 IAAF World Cross Country Championships
The 30th IAAF World Cross Country Championships were held 23-24 March 2002 in Dublin, Republic of Ireland.- Individual :- Team :- Individual :- Team :- Individual :- Team :- Individual :- Team :- Individual :- Team :...
. After modest performances 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...
, she found success by switching to road races in 2007.
The 2009 season saw marked improvement as she won the Cooper River Bridge Run
Cooper River Bridge Run
The Cooper River Bridge Run is an annual one-way road running event held in the cities of Mount Pleasant and Charleston in South Carolina, on the first Saturday in April, unless it is the day before Easter Sunday, when the event is held on the last Saturday in March...
and Monument Avenue 10K
Monument Avenue 10K
The Monument Avenue 10K, also known as the Ukrop's Monument Avenue 10K, is an annual 10,000 meter road running event, sanctioned by USA Track and Field. The race is run on historic Monument Avenue in Richmond, Virginia. Begun in 2000, the race has grown to be the fourth largest 10k in the country...
races. She then went on to take her first 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...
win 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....
, breaking the course record in only her third outing over the distance. She enjoyed success in East Asia at the start of 2010, winning both the Osaka Ladies Marathon and Seoul International Marathon
Seoul International Marathon
The Seoul International Marathon, also known as the Dong-A Ilbo Seoul Marathon, is an annual marathon race that takes place in Seoul, South Korea. It is one of two annual races over the 42.195 km classic distance in the city, alongside the JoongAng Seoul Marathon which is held in November. It...
. Amane also gained her first major wins over other distances that year by taking first place at the Göteborgsvarvet
Göteborgsvarvet
Göteborgsvarvet is an annual half marathon running competition in Gothenburg, Sweden . It is the largest annual running competition in Sweden, with about 40,000 participants each year. It is also the largest half-marathon running competition in the world, with its 2011 figure of 43 026...
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...
and winning her first national title in the 10,000 metres.
Career
Her first top level performances came in cross countryCross 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 she finished eighth in the short race at the 2002 IAAF World Cross Country Championships
2002 IAAF World Cross Country Championships
The 30th IAAF World Cross Country Championships were held 23-24 March 2002 in Dublin, Republic of Ireland.- Individual :- Team :- Individual :- Team :- Individual :- Team :- Individual :- Team :- Individual :- Team :...
in Dublin, a placing which helped the women's Ethiopian team (including Werknesh Kidane
Werknesh Kidane
Werknesh Kidane , is an Ethiopian long distance running athlete who competes in both 5000 and 10,000 metres. She has won numerous medals at the IAAF World Cross Country Championships and represented Ethiopia at the Summer Olympics in 2000 and 2004...
, Abebech Negussie
Abebech Negussie
Abebech Negussie is a retired Ethiopian middle distance runner, who specialized in 1500 metres.-Achievements:-External links:...
and Genet Gebregiorgis
Genet Gebregiorgis
Genet Gebregioris is an Ethiopian middle distance runner who competed in the late 1990s and early 2000s.She won a bronze medal in the 1500 metres at the 1995 All-Africa Games held in Harare...
) to the gold medal
Gold medal
A gold medal is typically the medal awarded for highest achievement in a non-military field. Its name derives from the use of at least a fraction of gold in form of plating or alloying in its manufacture...
in the team competition. She competed in track races in Europe in the 2003–2004 and among her performances was a 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...
personal best of 15:19.50, set at the Grand Prix Regione Lombardia in 2004 where she finished fourth. That year she also represented her country at the World Cross Country Championships for a second time, although her eleventh place finish left her out of the top four Ethiopians who took the team gold.
She made her debut in the 10K in 2005 and took second place in a race in Ratingen
Ratingen
Ratingen is a town in the district of Mettmann, in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, in the northwestern part of Berg - about 12 km northeast of Düsseldorf...
, finishing behind Teyba Erkesso
Teyba Erkesso
Teyba Erkesso Wako is an Ethiopian runner who specializes in road running as well as cross-country running....
. She also ran at the Golden Spike Ostrava
Golden Spike Ostrava
Golden Spike is an annual athletics event at the Městský Stadion in Ostrava-Vítkovice, Czech Republic as part of the IAAF World Challenge Meetings. It was first organized in 1961.-History:...
meeting in June and placed fifth over 5000 m. After taking time out from athletics in 2006, she returned to focus on road races and enjoyed podium finishes in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. She was runner-up at the Peachtree 10K and Bolder Boulder
Bolder Boulder
The Bolder Boulder is an annual 10-kilometer road race in Boulder, Colorado. The origin of the name is unknown. The most recent race featured over 54,000 runners, walkers, and wheelchair racers, making it the largest race in the US in which all participants are timed and the fifth largest road race...
races, as well as the Cooper River Bridge Run
Cooper River Bridge Run
The Cooper River Bridge Run is an annual one-way road running event held in the cities of Mount Pleasant and Charleston in South Carolina, on the first Saturday in April, unless it is the day before Easter Sunday, when the event is held on the last Saturday in March...
, where she was beaten by her compatriot Rehima Kedir but set a personal best of 32:12 for the 10K. She also won the six-mile Nacht von Borgholzhausen race in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
in June that year.
In 2008 she took wins on the global road circuit at the Abu Dhabi
Abu Dhabi
Abu Dhabi , literally Father of Gazelle, is the capital and the second largest city of the United Arab Emirates in terms of population and the largest of the seven member emirates of the United Arab Emirates. Abu Dhabi lies on a T-shaped island jutting into the Persian Gulf from the central western...
7K and the Wharf to Wharf 6-miler. Other performances included runner-up spots at the Freihofer's Run for Women
Freihofer's Run for Women
Freihofer's Run for Women is an annual five-kilometer road running competition for women that is usually held in late May or early June in Albany, New York, United States. First held in 1979, the race has grown into a sizable event that holds IAAF Silver Label Road Race status and had 3,927...
5K and Bolder Boulder. She stepped up to 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...
that year and ran the distance twice in France: she won the Le Lion Half Marathon in Montbéliard
Montbéliard
Montbéliard is a city in the Doubs department in the Franche-Comté region in eastern France. It is one of the two subprefectures of the department.-History:...
(setting a best of 1:12:16) and also won another race in Vemux.
Amane made her debut in 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...
in January 2009 at the Houston Marathon
Houston Marathon
The Houston Marathon is an annual marathon held every January in Houston, Texas. With thousands of runners and spectators, it is the largest single day sporting event in the city. It is run concurrently with a half marathon and a 5 km race...
and she managed to finish in fifth place. At the Ras Al Khaimah Half Marathon
Ras Al Khaimah Half Marathon
Ras Al Khaimah Half Marathon is an annual half marathon held in Ras Al Khaimah, United Arab Emirates.The first edition, in 2007, saw Samuel Wanjiru breaking the world record, but Wanjiru himself set a new world record only a month later in another race...
the following month she set a personal best of 1:08:16 to take sixth place in the women's race. Her next outing came at the Los Angeles Marathon
Los Angeles Marathon
The Honda LA Marathon is an annual running event held each spring in Los Angeles, California. The 26.219 mile footrace, inspired by the success of the 1984 Summer Olympic Games, has been contested every year since 1986...
in March and she headed to the front of the pack, but was overtaken by Tatyana Petrova
Tatyana Petrova
Tatyana Valeriyevna Petrova is a Russian runner, who specializes in the 3000 metres steeplechase as well as the marathon.As a junior, Petrova finished nineteenth at the 2001 European Cross Country Championships and reached the finals of both the 3000 metres and 5000 metres at the 2002 World Junior...
in the latter stages of the race. Still, her time of 2:26:53 for second place marked a successful transition to the longer distance. She competed extensively in the United States that summer, starting with wins at the Cooper River Bridge Run and Monument Avenue 10K
Monument Avenue 10K
The Monument Avenue 10K, also known as the Ukrop's Monument Avenue 10K, is an annual 10,000 meter road running event, sanctioned by USA Track and Field. The race is run on historic Monument Avenue in Richmond, Virginia. Begun in 2000, the race has grown to be the fourth largest 10k in the country...
. A fifth place at the Peachtree Road Race was followed up by a third place finish at the Boilermaker Road Race
Boilermaker Road Race
The Boilermaker Road Race is a USATF-certified race in Utica, New York, United States. The race attracts elite runners from all over the world as well as runners from across the country....
. Amane ran her third marathon of the year 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....
. She duelled against Mulu Seboka, another Ethiopian runner and the defending champion, in the earlier stages but then pulled away around the 40 km to earn her first win over the distance, breaking the course record with a run of 2:28:30 in the process. She brought a busy year to a close with two runs in September, taking eighth at the Delhi Half Marathon before securing the runner-up position behind Koreni Jelila at 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.
She soon returned to the starting line in 2010 and improved her best mark en-route to winning the Osaka Ladies Marathon in January, becoming the first Ethiopian ever to do so in almost thirty years of competition. An appearance at the Zayed International Half Marathon
Zayed International Half Marathon
The Zayed International Half Marathon is an annual road running competition which takes place in January in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. The inaugural edition of the half marathon race, named after Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, was held in 2008...
came later in the month, but she was some way off winner Mary Keitany and finished in fifth. She continued her Asian tour at the Seoul International Marathon
Seoul International Marathon
The Seoul International Marathon, also known as the Dong-A Ilbo Seoul Marathon, is an annual marathon race that takes place in Seoul, South Korea. It is one of two annual races over the 42.195 km classic distance in the city, alongside the JoongAng Seoul Marathon which is held in November. It...
and took her second victory of the year, outpacing Zhou Chunxiu
Zhou Chunxiu
Zhou Chunxiu is a Chinese marathon runner.She competed at the 2004 Olympic Games, finishing the marathon in 33rd place. She placed fourth in the marathon at the 2005 World Championships in Helsinki. She won the marathon gold medal at the 2006 Asian Games in Doha, Qatar...
and setting a career best of 2:24:13 for the distance. Amane won her first national title at the Ethiopian Athletics Championships with a 10,000 metres track win over Genet Getaneh.
She gained her first high profile win in the half marathon at the Göteborgsvarvet
Göteborgsvarvet
Göteborgsvarvet is an annual half marathon running competition in Gothenburg, Sweden . It is the largest annual running competition in Sweden, with about 40,000 participants each year. It is also the largest half-marathon running competition in the world, with its 2011 figure of 43 026...
that May. She then returned to the United States for the summer circuit, running at the Freihofer's Run for Women (eighth) and the Bolder Boulder, where she completed an Ethiopian 1–2 behind Mamitu Daska
Mamitu Daska
Mamitu Daska Molisa , also known as Mamitu Deska, is an Ethiopian long-distance runner who specialises in road running events, including the marathon. She is a two-time team silver medallist at the IAAF World Cross Country Championships...
. She was third at the Istanbul Eurasia Marathon as her national rival Ashu Kasim won in a course record time. She won the Xiamen Marathon in January 2011 in her first race of the year. She attempted to defend her title in Seoul, but was unsuccessful as she ended the race in tenth place.
Major competition record
| 2002 | World Cross Country Championships 2002 IAAF World Cross Country Championships The 30th IAAF World Cross Country Championships were held 23-24 March 2002 in Dublin, Republic of Ireland.- Individual :- Team :- Individual :- Team :- Individual :- Team :- Individual :- Team :- Individual :- Team :... |
Dublin, Ireland | 8th | Short race |
| 1st | Team race | |||
| 2004 | World Cross Country Championships 2004 IAAF World Cross Country Championships The 32nd IAAF World Cross Country Championships were held 19-20 March 2004 in Brussels, the capital of Belgium.- Individual :- Team :- Individual :- Team :- Individual :- Team :- Individual :- Team :- Individual :- Team :... |
Brussels Brussels Brussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union... , Belgium |
11th | Short race |
Road wins
- Nacht von Borgholzhausen: 2006
- Wharf to Wharf: 2007
- Le Lion Half Marathon: 2007
- Cooper River Bridge RunCooper River Bridge RunThe Cooper River Bridge Run is an annual one-way road running event held in the cities of Mount Pleasant and Charleston in South Carolina, on the first Saturday in April, unless it is the day before Easter Sunday, when the event is held on the last Saturday in March...
: 2009 - Monument Avenue 10KMonument Avenue 10KThe Monument Avenue 10K, also known as the Ukrop's Monument Avenue 10K, is an annual 10,000 meter road running event, sanctioned by USA Track and Field. The race is run on historic Monument Avenue in Richmond, Virginia. Begun in 2000, the race has grown to be the fourth largest 10k in the country...
: 2009 - Toronto Waterfront MarathonToronto Waterfront MarathonThe 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....
: 2009 - Osaka Ladies Marathon: 2010
- Seoul International MarathonSeoul International MarathonThe Seoul International Marathon, also known as the Dong-A Ilbo Seoul Marathon, is an annual marathon race that takes place in Seoul, South Korea. It is one of two annual races over the 42.195 km classic distance in the city, alongside the JoongAng Seoul Marathon which is held in November. It...
: 2010 - GöteborgsvarvetGöteborgsvarvetGöteborgsvarvet is an annual half marathon running competition in Gothenburg, Sweden . It is the largest annual running competition in Sweden, with about 40,000 participants each year. It is also the largest half-marathon running competition in the world, with its 2011 figure of 43 026...
: 2010 - Xiamen International MarathonXiamen International MarathonThe Xiamen International Marathon is an annual marathon race held in January in the coastal city of Xiamen in Fujian province, People's Republic of China. It is one of the prominent marathon races of the year...
: 2011