Solomon Molla
Encyclopedia
Solomon Molla is an Ethiopia
n athlete who specialises in long distance running, including the marathon
.
Born in Tigray Province
, he had his first experience of international competition at the IAAF World Cross Country Championships
. A second place in the national championships (behind Tessema Abshiro) meant he was selected for the junior race at the 2003 IAAF World Cross Country Championships
in Lausanne
, and he finished in ninth position. In 2004, he ran at the Great Ethiopian Run
, finishing eighth in the 10 km race, and came second in the 10,000 metres at the Addis Ababa
municipal championships.
In February the following year, he upset the favoured Tariku Bekele
to win the 8 km race at the Jan Meda International Cross Country. Based on this performance, he was entered into the 2005 IAAF World Cross Country Championships
and he improved on his previous showing with an eighth place finish. He became the Addis Ababa Municipal champion over 10,000 m that summer. The following year, he won the men's short race at the Jan Meda Addis Ababa Municipal Cross Country Championships, but could only manage third in the longer junior race. He closed his 2006 season with a run at the Obudu Ranch Mountain Race, a mountain running competition at the Obudu Cattle Ranch
in Nigeria
, and his top-eight finish was enough to take a share of the prize money. A summer of road running
in the United States
in 2007 was highlighted by a third place finish in the Azalea Trail Run
(with a new best of 28:39), and fourth at the Cooper River Bridge Run
. At the end of the year, he decided to move up to the marathon distance, saying that it would better suit his abilities. His first attempt at the distance came at the JoongAng Seoul Marathon
, where he managed to finish fourteenth.
He finished seventh at the Marrakesh Marathon in January 2008, and set a half marathon
best of 1:02:40 in Rabat
in April. He further improved his marathon time at the Ottawa Marathon two months later: his time of 2:11:04.8 beat his previous best by seven minutes and he took second place behind David Cheruiyot. His breakout performance came at the JoongAng Seoul Marathon in November: he further improved his best to win the race in 2:08:46, ranking among the top eight Ethiopian marathon runners that season.
In his second full year of marathon running, he attended the Boston Marathon
for the first time and finished with a time of 2:12:02 to take seventh 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 athlete who specialises in long distance running, including 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...
.
Born in Tigray Province
Tigray Province
Tigray was a province of Ethiopia. The Tigray Region superseded the province with the adoption of the new constitution in 1995. The province of Tigre merged with its neighboring provinces, including Semien, Tembien, Agame and the prominent Enderta province and towards the end of 19th century it...
, he had his first experience of international competition 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...
. A second place in the national championships (behind Tessema Abshiro) meant he was selected for the junior race at the 2003 IAAF World Cross Country Championships
2003 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 :...
in Lausanne
Lausanne
Lausanne is a city in Romandy, the French-speaking part of Switzerland, and is the capital of the canton of Vaud. The seat of the district of Lausanne, the city is situated on the shores of Lake Geneva . It faces the French town of Évian-les-Bains, with the Jura mountains to its north-west...
, and he finished in ninth position. In 2004, he ran 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...
, finishing eighth in the 10 km race, and came second in the 10,000 metres at the Addis Ababa
Addis Ababa
Addis Ababa is the capital city of Ethiopia...
municipal championships.
In February the following year, he upset the favoured Tariku Bekele
Tariku Bekele
Tariku Bekele is an Ethiopian long-distance runner, who specializes in the 5000 metres. He is the younger brother of Kenenisa Bekele. He is the fourth fastest Ethiopian ever over 5000 m and 3000 metres...
to win the 8 km race at the Jan Meda International Cross Country. Based on this performance, he was entered into the 2005 IAAF World Cross Country Championships
2005 IAAF World Cross Country Championships
The 33rd IAAF World Cross Country Championships were held 19-20 March 2005 in Saint-Étienne and Saint-Galmier , France.- Individual :- Team :- Individual :- Team :- Individual :- Team :- Individual :- Team :...
and he improved on his previous showing with an eighth place finish. He became the Addis Ababa Municipal champion over 10,000 m that summer. The following year, he won the men's short race at the Jan Meda Addis Ababa Municipal Cross Country Championships, but could only manage third in the longer junior race. He closed his 2006 season with a run at the Obudu Ranch Mountain Race, a mountain running competition at the Obudu Cattle Ranch
Obudu Cattle Ranch
Obudu Cattle Ranch is a ranch on the Obudu Plateau.It was developed in 1951 by Mr. McCaughley, a Scot who first explored the mountain ranges in 1949.He camped on the mountaintop of the Oshie Ridge on the Sankwala Mountains for a month before returning with Mr...
in Nigeria
Nigeria
Nigeria , officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a federal constitutional republic comprising 36 states and its Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. The country is located in West Africa and shares land borders with the Republic of Benin in the west, Chad and Cameroon in the east, and Niger in...
, and his top-eight finish was enough to take a share of the prize money. A summer of 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...
in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
in 2007 was highlighted by a third place finish in the Azalea Trail Run
Azalea Trail Run
The Azalea Trail Run is an annual road running event held in late March in Mobile, Alabama which is considered one of the United States' premier road races. Runners, walkers, and wheelchair athletes from around the world and at all levels turn out for the event...
(with a new best of 28:39), and fourth at 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...
. At the end of the year, he decided to move up to the marathon distance, saying that it would better suit his abilities. His first attempt at the distance came at the JoongAng Seoul Marathon
JoongAng Seoul Marathon
The JoongAng Seoul Marathon is an annual footrace that takes place in Seoul, South Korea, usually in early November. First held in 1999, the race was established as a commemoration of Olympic marathon race which was held as part of the 1988 Seoul Olympics. It features a men's marathon elite race,...
, where he managed to finish fourteenth.
He finished seventh at the Marrakesh Marathon in January 2008, and set a 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...
best of 1:02:40 in Rabat
Rabat
Rabat , is the capital and third largest city of the Kingdom of Morocco with a population of approximately 650,000...
in April. He further improved his marathon time at the Ottawa Marathon two months later: his time of 2:11:04.8 beat his previous best by seven minutes and he took second place behind David Cheruiyot. His breakout performance came at the JoongAng Seoul Marathon in November: he further improved his best to win the race in 2:08:46, ranking among the top eight Ethiopian marathon runners that season.
In his second full year of marathon running, he attended the Boston Marathon
Boston Marathon
The Boston Marathon is an annual marathon hosted by the U.S. city of Boston, Massachusetts, on Patriots' Day, the third Monday of April. Begun in 1897 and inspired by the success of the first modern-day marathon competition in the 1896 Summer Olympics, the Boston Marathon is the world's oldest...
for the first time and finished with a time of 2:12:02 to take seventh place.
Personal bests
| Surface | Event | Time (h Hour The hour is a unit of measurement of time. In modern usage, an hour comprises 60 minutes, or 3,600 seconds... :m Minute A minute is a unit of measurement of time or of angle. The minute is a unit of time equal to 1/60th of an hour or 60 seconds. In the UTC time scale, a minute on rare occasions has 59 or 61 seconds; see leap second. The minute is not an SI unit; however, it is accepted for use with SI units... :s Second The second is a unit of measurement of time, and is the International System of Units base unit of time. It may be measured using a clock.... ) |
Venue | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Track | 5000 m | 13:52.93 | Villeneuve d'Ascq Villeneuve d'Ascq Villeneuve-d'Ascq is a commune in the Nord department in northern France. With more than 60,000 inhabitants, it is one of the main cities of the Urban Community of Lille Métropole and the largest in area after Lille ; it is also one of the main cities of the Nord-Pas de Calais region.Built up... , France |
15 June 2003 |
| 10,000 m | 28:25.27 | Palo Alto, California Palo Alto, California Palo Alto is a California charter city located in the northwest corner of Santa Clara County, in the San Francisco Bay Area of California, United States. The city shares its borders with East Palo Alto, Mountain View, Los Altos, Los Altos Hills, Stanford, Portola Valley, and Menlo Park. It is... , United States |
29 May 2005 | |
| Road | 10 km | 28:39 | Mobile, Alabama Mobile, Alabama Mobile is the third most populous city in the Southern US state of Alabama and is the county seat of Mobile County. It is located on the Mobile River and the central Gulf Coast of the United States. The population within the city limits was 195,111 during the 2010 census. It is the largest... , United States |
24 March 2007 |
| 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... |
1:02:40 | Rabat Rabat Rabat , is the capital and third largest city of the Kingdom of Morocco with a population of approximately 650,000... , Morocco |
24 April 2008 | |
| 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... |
2:08:46 | Seoul Seoul Seoul , officially the Seoul Special City, is the capital and largest metropolis of South Korea. A megacity with a population of over 10 million, it is the largest city proper in the OECD developed world... , South Korea |
2 November 2008 |
- All information taken from IAAF profile.