Dejene Yirdaw
Encyclopedia
Dejene Yirdaw is an Ethiopia
n long-distance runner who specialises in the marathon
. He represented Ethiopia at the 2009 World Championships in Athletics
and has won the Gyeongju International Marathon
and the Kosice Peace Marathon
. He personal best for the distance is 2 hours and 8:30 minutes.
in Bloemfontein
in April, coming seventh with a time of 1:03:51, and then in October he entered into his first marathon
race, the Dublin Marathon
, and managed to finish in third place with a time of 2:11:08. He competed in the United States
for the first time the following year and his run of 2:14:20 was enough for second place behind Michael Aish at the Rock 'n' Roll Arizona Marathon
. The Kosice Peace Marathon
was the venue for his third outing over the distance that October, and he seized control of the race, outrunning even the official pacemaker (David Makori). He completed his first win over the distance in a personal best time of 2:10:51 and became only the third Ethiopian to win the men's race, breaking an almost forty-year dry spell since Abebe Bikila
and Demissie Wolde
's wins in the 1960s.
His performance at the Seoul International Marathon
in 2009 gave Dejene a number of scalps over quicker, more established runners. Knocking almost two and a half minutes of his personal best, Dejene was the only athlete to pursue the eventual winner Moses Arusei. Finishing as the runner-up with a time of 2:08:30, he had beaten pre-race favourites Jason Mbote and Paul Biwott
by a margin of two minutes. He was selected for the Ethiopian men's marathon team at the 2009 World Championships in Athletics
, earning his first major national selection at the age of 30. He finished in 15th place as the third fastest Ethiopian in 2:15:09, a time which (alongside Tsegay Kebede and Yemane Tsegay
) helped Ethiopia to the team silver medal
as part of the Marathon World Cup section of the race.
He began his 2010 season at the Dubai Marathon
in January and finished in seventh place. He ran over 20 km at the 20 van Alphen race in the Netherlands
and managed second place behind Bernard Chepkok with a best of 58:22 for the distance. At the Gyeongju International Marathon
he completed his second sub-2:10 clocking to win the race in 2:09:13, holding off a challenge from Moroccan
runner Abdellah Falil
.
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...
. He represented Ethiopia 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....
and has won the Gyeongju International Marathon
Gyeongju International Marathon
The Gyeongju International Marathon is an annual road running event over the marathon distance which takes place in mid-October in Gyeongju, South Korea. It gained IAAF Silver Label Road Race status in 2010....
and the Kosice Peace Marathon
Košice Peace Marathon
The Košice Peace Marathon is the oldest marathon in Europe and the second-oldest in the world .The first course was held in 1924. The marathon takes place each year on the first October Sunday...
. He personal best for the distance is 2 hours and 8:30 minutes.
Career
His first top level appearances came in 2007: he ran at the Nedbank half marathonHalf 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...
in Bloemfontein
Bloemfontein
Bloemfontein is the capital city of the Free State Province of South Africa; and, as the judicial capital of the nation, one of South Africa's three national capitals – the other two being Cape Town, the legislative capital, and Pretoria, the administrative capital.Bloemfontein is popularly and...
in April, coming seventh with a time of 1:03:51, and then in October he entered into his 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...
race, the Dublin Marathon
Dublin Marathon
The Dublin Marathon is an annual marathon in Dublin, Ireland, normally held on the last Monday in October, which is a public holiday in Ireland. Held each year since 1980, in 2007 there were about 11,000 race participants, half of whom were from overseas....
, and managed to finish in third place with a time of 2:11:08. He competed in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
for the first time the following year and his run of 2:14:20 was enough for second place behind Michael Aish at the Rock 'n' Roll Arizona Marathon
Rock 'n' Roll Arizona Marathon
The Rock 'n' Roll Arizona Marathon is a marathon and half-marathon race, held annually in Arizona on the Sunday before Martin Luther King, Jr. Day and linking three cities of the Phoenix Metropolitan Area: . Like the original Rock 'n' Roll Marathon in San Diego, it is organised by Competitor Group,...
. The Kosice Peace Marathon
Košice Peace Marathon
The Košice Peace Marathon is the oldest marathon in Europe and the second-oldest in the world .The first course was held in 1924. The marathon takes place each year on the first October Sunday...
was the venue for his third outing over the distance that October, and he seized control of the race, outrunning even the official pacemaker (David Makori). He completed his first win over the distance in a personal best time of 2:10:51 and became only the third Ethiopian to win the men's race, breaking an almost forty-year dry spell since Abebe Bikila
Abebe Bikila
Abebe Bikila was a two-time Olympic marathon champion from Ethiopia. A stadium in Addis Ababa is named in his honor.-1932–1959:...
and Demissie Wolde
Demissie Wolde
Demissie Wolde is a former Ethiopian marathon runner. He won the Košice Peace Marathon in 1969 in 2:15:37. He also competed at the 1964 Summer Olympics placing tenth in the marathon and at the 1972 Summer Olympics placing 18th in the marathon. He is the younger brother of Mamo...
's wins in the 1960s.
His performance 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...
in 2009 gave Dejene a number of scalps over quicker, more established runners. Knocking almost two and a half minutes of his personal best, Dejene was the only athlete to pursue the eventual winner Moses Arusei. Finishing as the runner-up with a time of 2:08:30, he had beaten pre-race favourites Jason Mbote and Paul Biwott
Paul Biwott
Paul Biwott is a Kenyan long-distance runner who specialises in road running, particularly the marathon.Among his earliest victories was the 2001 Route du Vin Half Marathon, which he won in a time of 1:03:05. He was the winner of the Marseille-Cassis Classique Internationale in 2003...
by a margin of two minutes. He was selected for the Ethiopian men's marathon team 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....
, earning his first major national selection at the age of 30. He finished in 15th place as the third fastest Ethiopian in 2:15:09, a time which (alongside Tsegay Kebede and Yemane Tsegay
Yemane Tsegay
Yemane Adhane Tsegay . World Marathon Majors. Retrieved on 2010-10-17. is an Ethiopian long distance runner who specialises in the marathon....
) helped Ethiopia to the team 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....
as part of the Marathon World Cup section of the race.
He began his 2010 season at the 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...
in January and finished in seventh place. He ran over 20 km at the 20 van Alphen race in the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
and managed second place behind Bernard Chepkok with a best of 58:22 for the distance. At the Gyeongju International Marathon
Gyeongju International Marathon
The Gyeongju International Marathon is an annual road running event over the marathon distance which takes place in mid-October in Gyeongju, South Korea. It gained IAAF Silver Label Road Race status in 2010....
he completed his second sub-2:10 clocking to win the race in 2:09:13, holding off a challenge from Moroccan
Morocco
Morocco , officially the Kingdom of Morocco , is a country located in North Africa. It has a population of more than 32 million and an area of 710,850 km², and also primarily administers the disputed region of the Western Sahara...
runner Abdellah Falil
Abdellah Falil
Abdellah Falil is a Moroccan professional long-distance runner. He was selected for the national Olympic squad for the 2008 Beijing Olympics and finished 16th in the 10,000 metres final....
.