Bizunesh Deba
Encyclopedia
Bizunesh Deba also known as Buzunesh Deba, is an Ethiopia
n long-distance runner who specialises in the marathon
. She is based in The Bronx, New York and her personal best for the marathon is 2:23:19 hours. She represented her country at the IAAF World Cross Country Championships
in 2003.
A prolific runner
since 2009, she has won six competitions over the marathon distance including the California International Marathon
, San Diego Marathon, Los Angeles Marathon
, Grandma's Marathon
and the Twin Cities Marathon
. She has participated three times at the New York City Marathon
, reaching the top ten on all occasions.
, where she came 33rd overall. She competed on the track in Japan in 2004, running a best of 15:52.33 minutes for the 5000 metres
, but it was another five years until she established herself as a road running
specialist.
Basing herself in The Bronx, New York, alongside her fellow marathon runner and husband Worku Beyi, she began in compete in road races in the United States in 2009. She won the Fairfield Half Marathon in June and in July she was the runner-up in the women's section of the Buffalo 4-Mile Chase, That September she won the Charleston Distance Classic 15-miler and then made her debut over the marathon
, winning on her first try at the Quad Cities Marathon with a time of 2:44:22 hours. Two months later she ran at the New York City Marathon
and came seventh, significantly improving her best time to 2:35:54 hours. In an untraditional decision for an elite runner, she ran her third marathon in the space of three months at the California International Marathon
and she won the race in a time of 2:32:17 hours.
She began 2010 with a personal best of 1:12:50 hours to win at the Naples Half Marathon and a win at the National Marathon to Fight Breast Cancer in Jacksonville Beach
followed soon after. She extended her winning streak to seven straight wins by taking the women's titles at the Broad Street Run
, Newport 10000, UAE Healthy Kidney 10K, Grandma's Marathon
(with a personal best run of 2:31:35), and the Fairfield Half Marathon. She was tenth at the Peachtree Road Race
on July 4, but returned to her winning ways at the Buffalo 4-Miler and Chris Thater Memorial 5K. Bizunesh secured her third marathon win of the year at the Twin Cities Marathon
in Minneapolis in October, running a personal best of 2:27:23 hours and beating second placed Svetlana Ponomarenko
by almost eight minutes. She returned to the major race at the 2010 New York City Marathon
and came tenth, although her time of 2:29:55 hours was her second run under the 2:30:00-mark. As in the previous year, she closed the season at the California Marathon and she retained her title, bringing her yearly tally to four marathon wins in five appearances.
At the beginning of 2011, Bizunesh defeated pre-race favourite Mare Dibaba
to win the Los Angeles Marathon
. She took a second straight victory at the Newport 10000 and then repeated that feat at the Healthy Kidney 10K in New York. She started the San Diego Marathon with a quick pace and reached the halfway marker in 1:09:53 hours. Her second half was not as fast but she still won the race in a new personal best of 2:23:31 hours – a time that also beat Joan Benoit
's record for the fastest marathon in California, set at the 1984 Olympic marathon more than 26 years earlier. Bizunesh had also surpassed the best time set by her husband, who remarked: "I will try harder to get the record back. I will not sleep anymore". Two months later she came third at the Beach to Beacon 10K. She placed second at the 2011 New York City Marathon
with her new personal best, 2:23:19 hours.
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 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...
. She is based in The Bronx, New York and her personal best for the marathon is 2:23:19 hours. She represented her country at the IAAF World Cross Country Championships
IAAF World Cross Country Championships
IAAF World Cross Country Championships is the most important competition in international cross country running. Held annually and organised by International Association of Athletics Federations , it was inaugurated in 1973, when it replaced the International Cross Country Championships...
in 2003.
A prolific runner
Running
Running is a means of terrestrial locomotion allowing humans and other animals to move rapidly on foot. It is simply defined in athletics terms as a gait in which at regular points during the running cycle both feet are off the ground...
since 2009, she has won six competitions over the marathon distance including the California International Marathon
California International Marathon
The California International Marathon is a 26-mile, 385-yard road race in Northern California. The course follows an historic gold-miners' round beginning at Folsom Dam and passing through rural Sacramento and ends at the California State Capitol. The race starts at an elevation of 366 ft...
, San Diego Marathon, 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...
, Grandma's Marathon
Grandma's Marathon
Grandma's Marathon is an annual road race held each June in Duluth, Minnesota, in the United States. The course runs point-to-point from the town of Two Harbors on Scenic Route 61 and continues along Lake Superior into the city of Duluth...
and the Twin Cities Marathon
Twin Cities Marathon
The Twin Cities Marathon is an annual marathon in the Minneapolis-Saint Paul area. The race is often dubbed "The Most Beautiful Urban Marathon in America." The TCM was first run in 1982, and typically takes place during the first weekend in October. In 2006 the Marathon agreed to its first...
. She has participated three times at the New York City Marathon
New York City Marathon
The New York City Marathon is a major annual marathon that courses through the five boroughs of New York City. It is one of the largest marathons in the world, with 45,103 finishers in 2010...
, reaching the top ten on all occasions.
Career
Her first international appearance for Ethiopia came in the long race at the 2003 IAAF World Cross Country Championships2003 IAAF World Cross Country Championships
The 31st IAAF World Cross Country Championships were held 29-30 March 2003 in Lausanne and Avenches , Switzerland.- Individual :- Team :- Individual :- Team :- Individual :- Team :- Individual :- Team :...
, where she came 33rd overall. She competed on the track in Japan in 2004, running a best of 15:52.33 minutes for 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...
, but it was another five years until she established herself as a 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...
specialist.
Basing herself in The Bronx, New York, alongside her fellow marathon runner and husband Worku Beyi, she began in compete in road races in the United States in 2009. She won the Fairfield Half Marathon in June and in July she was the runner-up in the women's section of the Buffalo 4-Mile Chase, That September she won the Charleston Distance Classic 15-miler and then made 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...
, winning on her first try at the Quad Cities Marathon with a time of 2:44:22 hours. Two months later she ran at the New York City Marathon
New York City Marathon
The New York City Marathon is a major annual marathon that courses through the five boroughs of New York City. It is one of the largest marathons in the world, with 45,103 finishers in 2010...
and came seventh, significantly improving her best time to 2:35:54 hours. In an untraditional decision for an elite runner, she ran her third marathon in the space of three months at the California International Marathon
California International Marathon
The California International Marathon is a 26-mile, 385-yard road race in Northern California. The course follows an historic gold-miners' round beginning at Folsom Dam and passing through rural Sacramento and ends at the California State Capitol. The race starts at an elevation of 366 ft...
and she won the race in a time of 2:32:17 hours.
She began 2010 with a personal best of 1:12:50 hours to win at the Naples Half Marathon and a win at the National Marathon to Fight Breast Cancer in Jacksonville Beach
Jacksonville Beach, Florida
Jacksonville Beach is a city on the Atlantic coast of Duval County, Florida, east of Jacksonville. It is part of the Jacksonville Beaches community, together with Mayport, Atlantic Beach, Neptune Beach, and Ponte Vedra Beach...
followed soon after. She extended her winning streak to seven straight wins by taking the women's titles at the Broad Street Run
Broad Street Run
The Blue Cross Broad Street Run, held in Philadelphia on the first Sunday in May since 1980, is one of the largest ten-mile road races in the United States.-Course:...
, Newport 10000, UAE Healthy Kidney 10K, Grandma's Marathon
Grandma's Marathon
Grandma's Marathon is an annual road race held each June in Duluth, Minnesota, in the United States. The course runs point-to-point from the town of Two Harbors on Scenic Route 61 and continues along Lake Superior into the city of Duluth...
(with a personal best run of 2:31:35), and the Fairfield Half Marathon. She was tenth at the Peachtree Road Race
Peachtree Road Race
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution Peachtree Road Race 10K is a 10 kilometer road race held annually in Atlanta, Georgia on July 4, Independence Day. The Peachtree Road Race was until recently the world's largest 10 kilometer race , a title it has held since the late 1970s...
on July 4, but returned to her winning ways at the Buffalo 4-Miler and Chris Thater Memorial 5K. Bizunesh secured her third marathon win of the year at the Twin Cities Marathon
Twin Cities Marathon
The Twin Cities Marathon is an annual marathon in the Minneapolis-Saint Paul area. The race is often dubbed "The Most Beautiful Urban Marathon in America." The TCM was first run in 1982, and typically takes place during the first weekend in October. In 2006 the Marathon agreed to its first...
in Minneapolis in October, running a personal best of 2:27:23 hours and beating second placed Svetlana Ponomarenko
Svetlana Ponomarenko
Svetlana Ponomarenko is a Russian long-distance runner who competes professionally in marathon races. She has a best of 2:29:55 hours for the distance. She won six consecutive marathons—going unbeaten from 2006 to 2008—winning in Frankfurt, Dallas , Minneapolis, Nashville and Athens,...
by almost eight minutes. She returned to the major race at the 2010 New York City Marathon
2010 New York City Marathon
The 41st New York City Marathon took place on Sunday , 2010. Sponsored by ING, the competition was the fifth World Marathon Major of 2010 and an IAAF Gold Label Road Race. A record 45,344 people were entered into the race. Ethiopian runner Gebregziabher Gebremariam won the men's race in a time of...
and came tenth, although her time of 2:29:55 hours was her second run under the 2:30:00-mark. As in the previous year, she closed the season at the California Marathon and she retained her title, bringing her yearly tally to four marathon wins in five appearances.
At the beginning of 2011, Bizunesh defeated pre-race favourite 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...
to win 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...
. She took a second straight victory at the Newport 10000 and then repeated that feat at the Healthy Kidney 10K in New York. She started the San Diego Marathon with a quick pace and reached the halfway marker in 1:09:53 hours. Her second half was not as fast but she still won the race in a new personal best of 2:23:31 hours – a time that also beat Joan Benoit
Joan Benoit
Joan Benoit Samuelson is an American marathon runner, who won gold at the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, the year that the women's marathon was introduced. As a result she was the first ever women's Olympic marathon champion. Benoit Samuelson still holds the fastest times for an American...
's record for the fastest marathon in California, set at the 1984 Olympic marathon more than 26 years earlier. Bizunesh had also surpassed the best time set by her husband, who remarked: "I will try harder to get the record back. I will not sleep anymore". Two months later she came third at the Beach to Beacon 10K. She placed second at the 2011 New York City Marathon
2011 New York City Marathon
The 42nd New York City Marathon took place on Sunday November 7, 2011. Sponsored by ING, it was the final race of the 2010/2011 World Marathon Majors series and an IAAF Gold Label Road Race. A record high of 47,107 runners entered the competition...
with her new personal best, 2:23:19 hours.