Bekana Daba
Encyclopedia
Bekana Daba is an Ethiopia
n long distance runner who specialises in the 5000 metres
and marathon
distances.
He was selected to compete at the 2007 World Championships in Athletics
but he finished eleventh in his heat and did not make the final. He won the Carlsbad 5000
in his first ever 5 km road race, beating Abreham Cherkos in a time of 13:19. At the 2009 World Championships in Athletics
, he finished sixth in his 5000 m heat, however he just didn't make the final, losing out to Chakir Boujattaoui
. Running at the Rock ‘n’ Roll Las Vegas Half Marathon, he set a Nevada
state record of 1:01:40 on the way to victory.
He ran in the 2010 New York City Half Marathon
and set a personal best of 1:01:23 for fourth place. He began to work towards a step up to the marathon
distance at the end of the year and won at the inaugural Ethiopian Clubs Cross Country Championships as part of his preparations, defeating marathon runner Feyisa Lilesa
. He ran at the 2010 Amsterdam Marathon
and finished in twelfth with a time of 2:14:40.
He was much more successful on his second attempt at the distance as he broke the course record to win the Houston Marathon
in January 2011, running a Texas state record of 2:07:04 hours to finish four minutes ahead of the competition. The mark was achieved in spite of the rainy conditions and his lead was so significant that in the final stages of the race he decided to stop at a nearby portable toilet
for a bathroom break.
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 specialises in the 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...
and 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...
distances.
He was selected to compete at the 2007 World Championships in Athletics
2007 World Championships in Athletics
The 11th World Championships in Athletics, under the auspices of the International Association of Athletics Federations , were held at Nagai Stadium in Osaka, Japan from 24 August to 2 September 2007...
but he finished eleventh in his heat and did not make the final. He won the Carlsbad 5000
Carlsbad 5000
The Carlsbad 5000 is an annual road running event over which is typically held in April in Carlsbad, California, United States.The event was first held in 1986 and is organized by the Competitor Group...
in his first ever 5 km road race, beating Abreham Cherkos in a time of 13:19. 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....
, he finished sixth in his 5000 m heat, however he just didn't make the final, losing out to Chakir Boujattaoui
Chakir Boujattaoui
Chakir Boujattaoui is a Moroccan is a long distance runner who specialises in cross country running, and the 5000 metres and steeplechase on the track....
. Running at the Rock ‘n’ Roll Las Vegas Half Marathon, he set a Nevada
Nevada
Nevada is a state in the western, mountain west, and southwestern regions of the United States. With an area of and a population of about 2.7 million, it is the 7th-largest and 35th-most populous state. Over two-thirds of Nevada's people live in the Las Vegas metropolitan area, which contains its...
state record of 1:01:40 on the way to victory.
He ran in the 2010 New York City Half Marathon
New York City Half Marathon
The New York City Half Marathon is an annual half marathon road running race. It passes through famous landmarks such as Central Park and Times Square. The 5th annual race took place on March 21, 2010, with 11,604 finishers and victories by Peter Kamais and Mara Yamauchi...
and set a personal best of 1:01:23 for fourth place. He began to work towards a step up to 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 end of the year and won at the inaugural Ethiopian Clubs Cross Country Championships as part of his preparations, defeating marathon runner Feyisa Lilesa
Feyisa Lilesa
Feyisa Lilesa is a male long-distance runner from Ethiopia. He became the youngest man to run under 2:06 when he set his personal best in the men's marathon at the 2010 Rotterdam Marathon. This makes him the third fastest Ethiopian runner ever over the distance, behind Haile Gebrselassie and...
. He ran at the 2010 Amsterdam Marathon
Amsterdam Marathon
The Amsterdam Marathon is an annual marathon race over the classic distance of 42.195km held in Amsterdam, the Netherlands since 1975. It is one of the top ten marathons in the world.-History:...
and finished in twelfth with a time of 2:14:40.
He was much more successful on his second attempt at the distance as he broke the course record to win 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...
in January 2011, running a Texas state record of 2:07:04 hours to finish four minutes ahead of the competition. The mark was achieved in spite of the rainy conditions and his lead was so significant that in the final stages of the race he decided to stop at a nearby portable toilet
Portable toilet
Portable toilet are simple portable enclosures containing a chemical toilet which are typically used as a temporary toilet for construction sites and large gatherings and events. Most of the portable toilets have black open-front-U-shaped toilet seat with cover...
for a bathroom break.
External links
- Profile at GlobalAthletics