Aselefech Mergia
Encyclopedia
Aselefech Mergia Medessa (Amharic: አሰለፈች መርግአ; born 23 January 1985) is an Ethiopia
n long-distance runner.
She began taking part in professional road races
in 2006, starting with a seventh place finish at the Delhi Half Marathon.
Aselefech Mergia Medessa (Amharic: አሰለፈች መርግአ; born 23 January 1985) is an Ethiopia
n long-distance runner.
She began taking part in professional road races
in 2006, starting with a seventh place finish at the Delhi Half Marathon.
Aselefech Mergia Medessa (Amharic: አሰለፈች መርግአ; born 23 January 1985) is an Ethiopia
n long-distance runner.
She began taking part in professional road races
in 2006, starting with a seventh place finish at the Delhi Half Marathon.Krishnan, Ram. Murali (2006-10-15). Kibiwott, Chepkirui the winners at Delhi Half-Marathon. IAAF. Retrieved on 2010-04-28. She won the Plymouth Half Marathon in 2007, finishing with a time of 1:14:50.Our Past Winners. Plymouth Half Marathon. Retrieved on 2010-04-28. She was second in the women's 10K in Glasgow
, Scotland, finishing behind Vivian Cheruiyot
but setting a personal best of 32:19 for the distance.Gillon, Doug (2007-05-14). Cheruiyot keeps up monopoly. The Herald
. Retrieved on 2010-04-28.
At the 2008 World Cross Country Championships
she finished sixteenth in the senior race. With five Ethiopian runners ahead of her she missed out for a place on the victorious Ethiopian team. That year she won the Delhi Half Marathon with a personal best run of 1:08:17.Three go sub-60, as Ethiopia sweep titles in Delhi Half Marathon. IAAF (2008-11-09). Retrieved on 2010-04-28. She closed the year by winning a silver medal
at the 2008 IAAF World Half Marathon Championships
.
She made her marathon
debut in April 2009 at the Paris Marathon
, where she ran 2:25:02 for second place.Vazel, Pierre-Jean (2009-04-05). 2:05:47 course record for Kipruto in Paris, five others under 2:07. IAAF. Retrieved on 2010-04-11. She topped the podium at the World 10K Bangalore
the following month, just holding off a charge from Mary Keitany to win the race in 32:08.Krishnan, Ram. Murali (2009-05-31). Merga and Mergia take thrilling 10km victories in Bangalore. IAAF. Retrieved on 2010-04-28. Mergia won the bronze medal
in the women's marathon
at the 2009 World Championships in Athletics
, recording a time of 2:25:32.
Aselefech improved her half marathon
personal best to 1:07:22 at the 2010 Ras Al Khaimah Half Marathon
. Despite the fast time, this was only enough for third place behind Elvan Abeylegesse
and Mare Dibaba
.Fairlie, Greg (2010-02-19). Stunning 1:07:07 Half Marathon debut by Abeylegesse Ras Al Khaimah. IAAF. Retrieved on 2010-02-19. More improvements came at the 2010 London Marathon
: she took third place and (with a run of 2:22:38) improved her best by over two and a half minutes.Brown, Matthew (2010-04-25). Commanding victories for Kebede and Shobukhova - London Marathon report. IAAF. Retrieved on 2010-04-28. She returned to defend her Bangalore 10K title in May, but was beaten to the tape by compatriot Wude Ayalew and, finishing two seconds behind her, Mergia had to settle for the runner-up position.Krishnan, Ram. Murali (2010-05-23). Mbishei, Yimer the surprise winners in Sunfeast World 10K. IAAF. Retrieved on 2010-06-09. She regained her Delhi Half Marathon title in November: learning from the poor pacing which had left her in ninth place the previous year, she stuck to the front and won the race in a sprint finish ahead of Merima Mohammed
.Murali, Ram. Krishnan (2010-11-21). Mergia recaptures women’s crown, Mutai foils Ethiopian sweep at Delhi Half Marathon. IAAF. Retrieved on 2010-11-27.
She came close to her personal best with a win at the 2011 Dubai Marathon
, taking her first victory over the distance on her fourth attempt. She just missed the course record mark, but gained the US$250,000 first place prize.Butcher, Pat (2011-01-21). Barmasai and Mergia fight headwind to take Dubai Marathon wins. IAAF. Retrieved on 2011-01-21. She was chosen for the Ethiopian marathon team at the 2011 World Championships
and was in twelfth at the 40 km point of the race, but dropped out in the final kilometres. In October she ran at the Great South Run
and easily saw off a challenge from Doris Changeywo
to win the 10-mile race.Martin, David (2011-10-30). Komon and Mergia take convincing victories in Portsmouth. IAAF. Retrieved on 2011-10-30. An attempt to defend her Delhi Half Marathon title ended in a third place finish, although she improved her best time by a second.Krishnan, Ram. Murali (2011-11-27). In close races, Desisa and Kabuu prevail in New Delhi Half. IAAF. Retrieved on 2011-11-27.
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.
She began taking part in professional road races
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...
in 2006, starting with a seventh place finish at the Delhi Half Marathon.
Aselefech Mergia Medessa (Amharic: አሰለፈች መርግአ; born 23 January 1985) 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.
She began taking part in professional road races
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...
in 2006, starting with a seventh place finish at the Delhi Half Marathon.
Aselefech Mergia Medessa (Amharic: አሰለፈች መርግአ; born 23 January 1985) 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.
She began taking part in professional road races
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...
in 2006, starting with a seventh place finish at the Delhi Half Marathon.Krishnan, Ram. Murali (2006-10-15). Kibiwott, Chepkirui the winners at Delhi Half-Marathon. IAAF. Retrieved on 2010-04-28. She won the Plymouth Half Marathon in 2007, finishing with a time of 1:14:50.Our Past Winners. Plymouth Half Marathon. Retrieved on 2010-04-28. She was second in the women's 10K in Glasgow
Glasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
, Scotland, finishing behind Vivian Cheruiyot
Vivian Cheruiyot
Vivian Cheruiyot is an athlete from Kenya who specialises in long distance running. She represented Kenya at the 2000 Summer Olympics and the 2008 Summer Olympics...
but setting a personal best of 32:19 for the distance.Gillon, Doug (2007-05-14). Cheruiyot keeps up monopoly. The Herald
The Herald (Glasgow)
The Herald is a broadsheet newspaper published Monday to Saturday in Glasgow, and available throughout Scotland. As of August 2011 it had an audited circulation of 47,226, giving it a lead over Scotland's other 'quality' national daily, The Scotsman, published in Edinburgh.The 1889 to 1906 editions...
. Retrieved on 2010-04-28.
At the 2008 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...
she finished sixteenth in the senior race. With five Ethiopian runners ahead of her she missed out for a place on the victorious Ethiopian team. That year she won the Delhi Half Marathon with a personal best run of 1:08:17.Three go sub-60, as Ethiopia sweep titles in Delhi Half Marathon. IAAF (2008-11-09). Retrieved on 2010-04-28. She closed the year by winning a 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....
at the 2008 IAAF World Half Marathon Championships
2008 IAAF World Half Marathon Championships
The 2008 IAAF World Half Marathon Championships were held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil on 12 October 2008.This event was first announced as the 2008 IAAF World Road Running Championships, but in November 2007, the IAAF announced that the name of the IAAF World Road Running Championships would revert...
.
She made her 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...
debut in April 2009 at 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....
, where she ran 2:25:02 for second place.Vazel, Pierre-Jean (2009-04-05). 2:05:47 course record for Kipruto in Paris, five others under 2:07. IAAF. Retrieved on 2010-04-11. She topped the podium 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, just holding off a charge from Mary Keitany to win the race in 32:08.Krishnan, Ram. Murali (2009-05-31). Merga and Mergia take thrilling 10km victories in Bangalore. IAAF. Retrieved on 2010-04-28. Mergia 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...
in the women's marathon
2009 World Championships in Athletics – Women's Marathon
The Women's Marathon event at the 2009 World Championships in Athletics took place on August 23, 2009 in the streets of Berlin, Germany. The race started at 11:15h local time.-Medalists:-Abbreviations:...
at the 2009 World Championships in Athletics
2009 World Championships in Athletics
The 12th IAAF World Championships in Athletics were held in Berlin, Germany from 15–23 August 2009. The majority of events took place in the Olympiastadion, while the marathon and racewalking events started and finished at the Brandenburg Gate....
, recording a time of 2:25:32.
Aselefech improved her 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...
personal best to 1:07:22 at the 2010 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...
. Despite the fast time, this was only enough for third place behind Elvan Abeylegesse
Elvan Abeylegesse
Elvan Abeylegesse is an Ethiopian-born Turkish middle and long distance track and field athlete, running in the disciplines of 1500 m, 3000 m and 5000 m, but also 10000 m, 2 miles and cross country...
and 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...
.Fairlie, Greg (2010-02-19). Stunning 1:07:07 Half Marathon debut by Abeylegesse Ras Al Khaimah. IAAF. Retrieved on 2010-02-19. More improvements came at the 2010 London Marathon
2010 London Marathon
The 2010 London Marathon took place on Sunday, 25 April 2010. Up to 36,000 people are thought to have taken part, a record for the event. The men's event was won by Tsegaye Kebede of Ethiopia with a time of 2:05:19 and the women's event by Liliya Shobukhova of Russia with a time of 2:22:00...
: she took third place and (with a run of 2:22:38) improved her best by over two and a half minutes.Brown, Matthew (2010-04-25). Commanding victories for Kebede and Shobukhova - London Marathon report. IAAF. Retrieved on 2010-04-28. She returned to defend her Bangalore 10K title in May, but was beaten to the tape by compatriot Wude Ayalew and, finishing two seconds behind her, Mergia had to settle for the runner-up position.Krishnan, Ram. Murali (2010-05-23). Mbishei, Yimer the surprise winners in Sunfeast World 10K. IAAF. Retrieved on 2010-06-09. She regained her Delhi Half Marathon title in November: learning from the poor pacing which had left her in ninth place the previous year, she stuck to the front and won the race in a sprint finish ahead of Merima Mohammed
Merima Mohammed
Merima Mohammed Hasen is an Ethiopian long-distance runner who competes in road running events, including the marathon. Her personal best of 2:23:06 hours for the distance makes her the second fastest teenager ever over the 42.195 km distance. She has won marathons in Düsseldorf, Nice and...
.Murali, Ram. Krishnan (2010-11-21). Mergia recaptures women’s crown, Mutai foils Ethiopian sweep at Delhi Half Marathon. IAAF. Retrieved on 2010-11-27.
She came close to her personal best with a win at the 2011 Dubai Marathon
Dubai Marathon
The Dubai Marathon is an annual marathon running race held in Dubai in the United Arab Emirates.The race is held in January each year, the first being run on 14 January 2000...
, taking her first victory over the distance on her fourth attempt. She just missed the course record mark, but gained the US$250,000 first place prize.Butcher, Pat (2011-01-21). Barmasai and Mergia fight headwind to take Dubai Marathon wins. IAAF. Retrieved on 2011-01-21. She was chosen for the Ethiopian marathon team at the 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....
and was in twelfth at the 40 km point of the race, but dropped out in the final kilometres. In October she ran at the Great South Run
Great South Run
The Bupa Great South Run is an annual 10 miles road running race which takes place in Portsmouth, United Kingdom. Launched in 1990, it is part of the Great Run series created by former British athlete Brendan Foster...
and easily saw off a challenge from Doris Changeywo
Doris Changeywo
Doris Chepkwemoi Changeywo is a Kenyan long-distance runner who specialises in the 10,000 metres and cross country running....
to win the 10-mile race.Martin, David (2011-10-30). Komon and Mergia take convincing victories in Portsmouth. IAAF. Retrieved on 2011-10-30. An attempt to defend her Delhi Half Marathon title ended in a third place finish, although she improved her best time by a second.Krishnan, Ram. Murali (2011-11-27). In close races, Desisa and Kabuu prevail in New Delhi Half. IAAF. Retrieved on 2011-11-27.
Personal bests
- 1500 metres1500 metresThe 1,500-metre run is the premier middle distance track event.Aerobic endurance is the biggest factor contributing to success in the 1500 metres but the athlete also requires significant sprint speed.In modern times, the 1,500-metre run has been run at a pace faster than the average person could...
- 4:23.39 min (2007) - 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...
1:07:21 (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...
- 2:22:38 (2010)
Competition record
| 2008 | 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... |
Edinburgh Edinburgh Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area... , Scotland |
16th | Senior race |
| World Half Marathon Championships 2008 IAAF World Half Marathon Championships The 2008 IAAF World Half Marathon Championships were held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil on 12 October 2008.This event was first announced as the 2008 IAAF World Road Running Championships, but in November 2007, the IAAF announced that the name of the IAAF World Road Running Championships would revert... |
Rio de Janeiro Rio de Janeiro Rio de Janeiro , commonly referred to simply as Rio, is the capital city of the State of Rio de Janeiro, the second largest city of Brazil, and the third largest metropolitan area and agglomeration in South America, boasting approximately 6.3 million people within the city proper, making it the 6th... , Brazil |
2nd | Half marathon | |
| 2009 | World Championships 2009 World Championships in Athletics The 12th IAAF World Championships in Athletics were held in Berlin, Germany from 15–23 August 2009. The majority of events took place in the Olympiastadion, while the marathon and racewalking events started and finished at the Brandenburg Gate.... |
Berlin Berlin Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union... , Germany |
3rd | Marathon 2009 World Championships in Athletics – Women's Marathon The Women's Marathon event at the 2009 World Championships in Athletics took place on August 23, 2009 in the streets of Berlin, Germany. The race started at 11:15h local time.-Medalists:-Abbreviations:... |
| 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 |
DNF | Marathon 2011 World Championships in Athletics – Women's Marathon The Women's marathon at the 2011 World Championships in Athletics was held starting and finishing at Gukchae - bosang Memorial Park on August 27. A total of 54 runners began the race and twenty three nations were represented.... |
Road race wins
- Delhi Half Marathon: 2008, 2010
- World 10K BangaloreWorld 10K BangaloreThe 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...
: 2009 - Dubai MarathonDubai MarathonThe Dubai Marathon is an annual marathon running race held in Dubai in the United Arab Emirates.The race is held in January each year, the first being run on 14 January 2000...
: 2011