Tsegaye Kebede
Encyclopedia
Tsegaye Kebede Wordofa (Amharic: ፀጋየ ከበደ ዎርዶፋ; born 15 January 1987) is an Ethiopia
n long-distance runner who competes in road running
events, including marathons. He quickly rose to become a prominent distance runner after his international debut at the Amsterdam Marathon
in 2007. In his second year of professional running, he won the Paris Marathon
, the Fukuoka Marathon
and won the marathon bronze medal
at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
In the 2009 season he established himself as one of Ethiopia's top athletes: he came second in the London Marathon
and at his first World Championships in Athletics he took the bronze medal in the marathon. He retained his Fukuoka Marathon title at the end of 2009, running the fastest ever marathon race in Japan. He won the 2010 London Marathon
– his first major marathon. He is ranked among the fastest marathon runners of all time, and is the second fastest Ethiopian after Haile Gebrselassie
.
, he collected firewood to sell and herded livestock to supplement his father's earnings, paying for his own education and the rest of his family. He ate one meal a day and had to work every day to earn around 2.50 Ethiopian birr
(US$0.30).
He began running for pleasure as an 8 year old and, after competing at a half marathon
in Addis Ababa in 2006, an athletics coach (Getaneh Tessema) offered him the chance to train with his group. He attended a 10 km time trial session with the group in the following days, and he beat all runners with the exception of Deriba Merga, who went on to win the Great Ethiopian Run
that year. He won the Abebe Bikila International Marathon a few months later, effectively resolving the visa problems he had encountered while trying to race overseas. His first marathon race abroad was the 2007 Amsterdam Marathon
and he finished eighth with a new personal best of 2:08:16. Despite failing to reach the podium, this established him as among Ethiopia's top marathon runners – indeed, Haile Gebrselassie
and Deriba Merga were the only Ethiopians to run faster times that year.
for the marathon race. He took second place behind Patrick Makau Musyoki
at the Ras Al Khaimah Half Marathon
with a time of 59:35, a personal best. A win at the Paris Marathon
in April improved his chances of selection, as his sprint finish earned him another personal best with 2:06:40. He finished third in the World 10K Bangalore
race the following month, setting a best of 28:10 over the distance. Haile Gebrselassie stated that he did not intend to compete in the Beijing Olympics, meaning that Tsegaye and Merga would carry the medal hopes for Ethiopia.
With only two years of competitive running and one year of international competition to his credit, the 21-year-old Tsegaye won the bronze medal in men's marathon
at the 2008 Summer Olympics
in Beijing, China, passing teammate Deriba Merga in the last 400 metres of the race. He won the Great North Run
in October, and finished the year with a win at the Fukuoka International Marathon; his time of 2:06:10 broke Samuel Wanjiru
's course record and was the fastest marathon on Japan
ese soil. This raised him in the rankings to the twelfth fastest ever marathon runner at the time.
He remained in strong form the following year: he set a new personal best of 2:05:20 at the 2009 London Marathon
, taking second place behind Wanjiru. This elevated him into the top ten in the all-time marathon lists and made him the second fastest Ethiopian after world record holder Haile Gebrselassie. Representing Ethiopia at the 2009 World Championships in Athletics
, Tsegaye repeated the feat he had achieved a year earlier at the Olympics, overtaking Deriba Merga and taking the bronze medal as the fastest Ethiopian finisher in the World Championship marathon
. He improved his best further at the end of that year, winning the Fukuoka International Marathon for a second time. He finished the race in 2:05:18, a new course record and again setting the fastest time ever recorded for the marathon in Japan.
At the 2010 London Marathon
, he set his sights on beating the defending champion Samuel Wanjiru
. Wanjiru dropped out at 20 km, however, and Kebede saw off a challenge from Abel Kirui
at the 30 km mark. The pacemakers were not quick through the early stages and Kebede had enough energy to sprint for the line, but his time of 2:05:19 was nine seconds short of the record and a second away from Kebede's best. The 2010 Chicago Marathon
in October provided a much closer battle with Wanjiru. Tsegaye closely followed the pacemakers and repeatedly surged ahead of the field. Wanjiru managed to make up ground each time and, running in increasingly high temperatures, Kebede was overtaken by him in the last 400 m and he finished in second place with a time of 2:06:43. This result also left him behind Wanjiru in the race for the World Marathon Majors
jackpot, but he was generally positive about the defeat: "I am happy. This is not the end. I will run again". He attempted to defend his title in the 2011 London Marathon
, but could not keep up with the leaders' pace at the 30 km mark, and had to settle for fifth place with a time of 2:07:47.
All Information taken from IAAF profile.
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 competes in 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...
events, including marathons. He quickly rose to become a prominent distance runner after his international debut at the 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:...
in 2007. In his second year of professional running, he won 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....
, the Fukuoka Marathon
Fukuoka Marathon
The , held in Fukuoka, Japan, is an international men's marathon race established in 1947. It is usually held on the first Sunday in December.The course record is held by Tsegaye Kebede of Ethiopia, running 2:05:18 in 2009 to best his own record from the previous year.-Men's winners:Winners of the...
and won the marathon 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...
at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
In the 2009 season he established himself as one of Ethiopia's top athletes: he came second in the London Marathon
London Marathon
The London Marathon is one of the biggest running events in the world, and one of the five top world marathons that make up the World Marathon Majors competition, which has a $1 million prize purse. It has been held each spring in London since 1981. The race is currently sponsored by Virgin Money,...
and at his first World Championships in Athletics he took the bronze medal in the marathon. He retained his Fukuoka Marathon title at the end of 2009, running the fastest ever marathon race in Japan. He won 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...
– his first major marathon. He is ranked among the fastest marathon runners of all time, and is the second fastest Ethiopian after Haile Gebrselassie
Haile Gebrselassie
Haile Gebrselassie is an Ethiopian long-distance track and road running athlete. He won two Olympic gold medals over 10,000 metres and four World Championship titles in the event. He won the Berlin Marathon four times consecutively and also had three straight wins at the Dubai Marathon...
.
Early years
Tsegaye was brought up as part of a large family, the fifth child of thirteen, and his early years were marked by poverty. Living in Gerar Ber, a town some 40 km north of Addis AbabaAddis Ababa
Addis Ababa is the capital city of Ethiopia...
, he collected firewood to sell and herded livestock to supplement his father's earnings, paying for his own education and the rest of his family. He ate one meal a day and had to work every day to earn around 2.50 Ethiopian birr
Ethiopian birr
The birr is the unit of currency in Ethiopia. Before 1976, dollar was the official English translation of birr. Today, it is officially birr in English as well....
(US$0.30).
He began running for pleasure as an 8 year old and, after competing at 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...
in Addis Ababa in 2006, an athletics coach (Getaneh Tessema) offered him the chance to train with his group. He attended a 10 km time trial session with the group in the following days, and he beat all runners with the exception of Deriba Merga, who went on to win 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...
that year. He won the Abebe Bikila International Marathon a few months later, effectively resolving the visa problems he had encountered while trying to race overseas. His first marathon race abroad was the 2007 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 he finished eighth with a new personal best of 2:08:16. Despite failing to reach the podium, this established him as among Ethiopia's top marathon runners – indeed, Haile Gebrselassie
Haile Gebrselassie
Haile Gebrselassie is an Ethiopian long-distance track and road running athlete. He won two Olympic gold medals over 10,000 metres and four World Championship titles in the event. He won the Berlin Marathon four times consecutively and also had three straight wins at the Dubai Marathon...
and Deriba Merga were the only Ethiopians to run faster times that year.
Olympic and World Championship competition
Keen to establish himself, he looked towards obtaining a spot on the Ethiopian 2008 Olympic teamEthiopia at the 2008 Summer Olympics
Ethiopia competed in the 2008 Summer Olympics held in Beijing, People's Republic of China from August 8 to August 24, 2008.10,000 m runner Tirunesh Dibaba ran the second fastest 10,000 metres of all time, setting an Olympic record of 29 minutes, 54.66 seconds.-Medalists:- Athletics:The Athletics...
for the marathon race. He took second place behind Patrick Makau Musyoki
Patrick Makau Musyoki
Patrick Makau Musyoki is a runner from Kenya. He holds the world record in the marathon with a time of 2:03:38, set at the 2011 Berlin Marathon. He is also notable for his half marathon performances, having won a number of prominent competitions in Europe...
at the 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...
with a time of 59:35, a personal best. A win 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....
in April improved his chances of selection, as his sprint finish earned him another personal best with 2:06:40. He finished third in 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...
race the following month, setting a best of 28:10 over the distance. Haile Gebrselassie stated that he did not intend to compete in the Beijing Olympics, meaning that Tsegaye and Merga would carry the medal hopes for Ethiopia.
With only two years of competitive running and one year of international competition to his credit, the 21-year-old Tsegaye won the bronze medal in men's marathon
Athletics at the 2008 Summer Olympics - Men's marathon
The following new Olympic record was set during this competition.-Results:Key: = Olympic record, SB = Season Best, PB = Personal Best, DNF = Did Not Finish, DNS = Did Not Start-Intermediates:s.t. - same time.- External links :...
at the 2008 Summer Olympics
2008 Summer Olympics
The 2008 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIX Olympiad, was a major international multi-sport event that took place in Beijing, China, from August 8 to August 24, 2008. A total of 11,028 athletes from 204 National Olympic Committees competed in 28 sports and 302 events...
in Beijing, China, passing teammate Deriba Merga in the last 400 metres of the race. He won the Great North Run
Great North Run
The Bupa Great North Run is the world's largest half marathon, taking place annually each September. Participants run between Newcastle upon Tyne and South Shields in England. The run was devised by former Olympic 10,000 m bronze medallist and BBC Sport commentator Brendan Foster.The first Great...
in October, and finished the year with a win at the Fukuoka International Marathon; his time of 2:06:10 broke Samuel Wanjiru
Samuel Wanjiru
Samuel Kamau Wanjiru was a Kenyan athlete, who specialized in long distance running. He became a professional at a young age and broke the world record in the half marathon when he was 18 years old...
's course record and was the fastest marathon on Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese soil. This raised him in the rankings to the twelfth fastest ever marathon runner at the time.
He remained in strong form the following year: he set a new personal best of 2:05:20 at the 2009 London Marathon
London Marathon
The London Marathon is one of the biggest running events in the world, and one of the five top world marathons that make up the World Marathon Majors competition, which has a $1 million prize purse. It has been held each spring in London since 1981. The race is currently sponsored by Virgin Money,...
, taking second place behind Wanjiru. This elevated him into the top ten in the all-time marathon lists and made him the second fastest Ethiopian after world record holder Haile Gebrselassie. Representing Ethiopia at the 2009 World Championships in Athletics
Ethiopia at the 2009 World Championships in Athletics
Ethiopia will compete at the 2009 World Championships in Athletics from 15 to 23 August. A team of 38 athletes was announced in preparation for the competition. Selected athletes have achieved one of the competition's qualifying standards...
, Tsegaye repeated the feat he had achieved a year earlier at the Olympics, overtaking Deriba Merga and taking the bronze medal as the fastest Ethiopian finisher in the World Championship marathon
2009 World Championships in Athletics – Men's Marathon
The Men's Marathon at the 2009 World Championships in Athletics took place on August 22, 2009 in the streets of Berlin, Germany.-Medalists:-Abbreviations:*All times shown are in hours:minutes:seconds-Records:-Qualification standard:...
. He improved his best further at the end of that year, winning the Fukuoka International Marathon for a second time. He finished the race in 2:05:18, a new course record and again setting the fastest time ever recorded for the marathon in Japan.
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...
, he set his sights on beating the defending champion Samuel Wanjiru
Samuel Wanjiru
Samuel Kamau Wanjiru was a Kenyan athlete, who specialized in long distance running. He became a professional at a young age and broke the world record in the half marathon when he was 18 years old...
. Wanjiru dropped out at 20 km, however, and Kebede saw off a challenge from Abel Kirui
Abel Kirui
Abel Kirui is a male long-distance runner from Kenya who competes in marathons. He had back-to-back wins in the World Championships Marathon in 2009 and 2011...
at the 30 km mark. The pacemakers were not quick through the early stages and Kebede had enough energy to sprint for the line, but his time of 2:05:19 was nine seconds short of the record and a second away from Kebede's best. The 2010 Chicago Marathon
2010 Chicago Marathon
The 2010 Chicago Marathon took place on Sunday, October 10, 2010. Over 38,000 runners took part, the most in the race's history.Kenyan Samuel Wanjiru won the men's event with a time of 2:06:24, beating Ethiopian Tsegaye Kebede by 19 seconds. Russian Liliya Shobukhova won the women's event with a...
in October provided a much closer battle with Wanjiru. Tsegaye closely followed the pacemakers and repeatedly surged ahead of the field. Wanjiru managed to make up ground each time and, running in increasingly high temperatures, Kebede was overtaken by him in the last 400 m and he finished in second place with a time of 2:06:43. This result also left him behind Wanjiru in the race for the World Marathon Majors
World Marathon Majors
The World Marathon Majors is a championship-style competition for marathon runners that started in 2006. It comprises five annual races for the cities of Berlin, Boston, Chicago, London, and New York City. Two other races are also included in the series: the IAAF World Championships Marathon and...
jackpot, but he was generally positive about the defeat: "I am happy. This is not the end. I will run again". He attempted to defend his title in the 2011 London Marathon
2011 London Marathon
The 2011 London Marathon took place on Sunday, 17 April 2011. The men's elite race saw Emmanuel Mutai win in a course record time to become the fourth fastest ever over the distance. Runner-up Martin Lel sprinted to the line to beat Patrick Makau, completing a Kenyan sweep of the podium...
, but could not keep up with the leaders' pace at the 30 km mark, and had to settle for fifth place with a time of 2:07:47.
Personal bests
Updated 6 December 2009| 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.... ) |
Date | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 kilometres | 28:10 | 18 May 2008 | Bangalore Bangalore Bengaluru , formerly called Bengaluru is the capital of the Indian state of Karnataka. Bangalore is nicknamed the Garden City and was once called a pensioner's paradise. Located on the Deccan Plateau in the south-eastern part of Karnataka, Bangalore is India's third most populous city and... , India |
| 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... |
59:35 | 8 February 2008 | Ras Al Khaimah, United Arab Emirates |
| 25 kilometres | 1:14:43 | 24 August 2009 | Beijing Beijing Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's... , China |
| 30 kilometres | 1:30:25 | 21 October 2007 | Amsterdam Amsterdam Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population... , Netherlands |
| 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... |
2:05:18 | 6 December 2009 | Fukuoka Fukuoka Fukuoka most often refers to the capital city of Fukuoka Prefecture.It can also refer to:-Locations:* Fukuoka, Gifu, a town in Gifu Prefecture, Japan* Fukuoka, Toyama, a town in Toyama Prefecture, Japan... , Japan |
All Information taken from IAAF profile.
Major competition record
- All results regarding marathon, unless stated otherwise
Representing 2007 2007 in athletics (track and field)This article contains an overview of the sport of athletics, including track and field, cross country and road running, in the year 2007.-World:*World Championships in Athletics*World Athletics Final*World Cross Country Championships...Amsterdam Marathon Amsterdam MarathonThe 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:...Amsterdam, Netherlands 8th 2:08:16 2008 2008 in athletics (track and field)-International events:*2008 Summer Olympic Games, held in Beijing, China*African Championships, held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia*European Cup, super league held in Annecy, France*World Indoor Championships, held in Valencia, Spain...Paris Marathon Paris MarathonThe 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....Paris, France 1st 2:06:40 Summer Olympics 2008 Summer OlympicsThe 2008 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIX Olympiad, was a major international multi-sport event that took place in Beijing, China, from August 8 to August 24, 2008. A total of 11,028 athletes from 204 National Olympic Committees competed in 28 sports and 302 events...Beijing BeijingBeijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...
, China3rd 2:10:00 Fukuoka Marathon Fukuoka MarathonThe , held in Fukuoka, Japan, is an international men's marathon race established in 1947. It is usually held on the first Sunday in December.The course record is held by Tsegaye Kebede of Ethiopia, running 2:05:18 in 2009 to best his own record from the previous year.-Men's winners:Winners of the...Fukuoka, Japan 1st 2:06:10 2009 2009 in athletics (track and field)This page contains an overview of the year 2009 in athletics.The major competition of the year was the 2009 World Championships in Athletics. At the event, Usain Bolt reaffirmed himself as one of the world's foremost athletes with world records in the 100 and 200 metres...London Marathon London MarathonThe London Marathon is one of the biggest running events in the world, and one of the five top world marathons that make up the World Marathon Majors competition, which has a $1 million prize purse. It has been held each spring in London since 1981. The race is currently sponsored by Virgin Money,...London, United Kingdom 2nd 2:05:20 World Championships 2009 World Championships in AthleticsThe 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 BerlinBerlin 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...
, Germany3rd 2:08:35 2009 World Championships in Athletics – Men's MarathonThe Men's Marathon at the 2009 World Championships in Athletics took place on August 22, 2009 in the streets of Berlin, Germany.-Medalists:-Abbreviations:*All times shown are in hours:minutes:seconds-Records:-Qualification standard:...Fukuoka Marathon Fukuoka MarathonThe , held in Fukuoka, Japan, is an international men's marathon race established in 1947. It is usually held on the first Sunday in December.The course record is held by Tsegaye Kebede of Ethiopia, running 2:05:18 in 2009 to best his own record from the previous year.-Men's winners:Winners of the...Fukuoka, Japan 1st 2:05:18 2010 London Marathon 2010 London MarathonThe 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...London, United Kingdom 1st 2:05:19 Chicago Marathon Chicago MarathonThe Bank of America Chicago Marathon is a major marathon held yearly in Chicago in Cook County, Illinois, United States. Alongside the Boston, New York, London and Berlin Marathons, it is one of the five World Marathon Majors. Thus, it is also an IAAF Gold Label race...Chicago, Illinois 2nd 2:06:43
Other competitions
- 2nd – 2008 Ras Al Khaimah Half MarathonRas Al Khaimah Half MarathonRas 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...
, 59:35 - 3rd – 2008 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...
, 28:10 - 1st – 2008 Great North RunGreat North RunThe Bupa Great North Run is the world's largest half marathon, taking place annually each September. Participants run between Newcastle upon Tyne and South Shields in England. The run was devised by former Olympic 10,000 m bronze medallist and BBC Sport commentator Brendan Foster.The first Great...
, 59:45