Zersenay Tadesse
Encyclopedia
Zersenay Tadese (born 8 February 1982) is an Eritrea
n long-distance track
, and road running
athlete
. He currently holds the men's half marathon
world record. His bronze medal
in the 10,000 metres at the 2004 Athens Olympics made him the first ever Eritrean Olympic medallist, and his 20 km title at the 2006 IAAF World Road Running Championships
also made him the country's first athlete to win at a world championship
event. He does not use a sprint finish to win races: his strategy relies upon a combination of efficient running
and fast pace setting.
Zersenay ('Tadese' is his father's name) has found most of his success over the half marathon
distance, with three consecutive victories in the World Half Marathon Championships
from 2007 to 2009, and a world record at the Lisbon Half Marathon
in 2010. He has also excelled in cross country running
, winning a gold
, one silver
, and two bronze medals in the long distance race over the last five IAAF World Cross Country Championships
.
In 2009 Zersenay became only the second man (after Paul Tergat
) to win three World Championship medals over three different surfaces in the same year: winning World Cross Country
bronze, 10,000 metres World Championship
silver on the track, and gold in road running at the World Half Marathon Championships
. He is a popular public figure in his home country; 2500 guests attended his wedding to Merhawit Solomon, which was broadcast live on Eritrean television. His brother, Kidane Tadese, is also a professional distance runner.
. He became interested in cycling
in his teenage years and, after winning a number of races, he set his sights upon becoming a professional cyclist in Europe. However, the races of 30–50 km fell short of the distances needed to compete on the European circuit and he was ill-prepared for a transition to top-level cycling.
He was a relative late-comer to competitive running
: in his late teens, scouts from a local athletics club suggested that his cycling stamina might translate to running and invited him to compete. He won the race and was spurred on by the victory to start taking the sport seriously and focus on running. Zersenay was adamant that his early years in cycling had given him a firm foundation for endurance running.
His first foray into the international athletics circuit came in 2002, when he attended the 2002 IAAF World Cross Country Championships
in Dublin. Although he was wearing ill-fitting shoes and was somewhat puzzled at hearing a starting gun for the first time, he managed to finish in 30th place with a time of 36 minutes and 37 seconds. However, he remained some distance off the winner Kenenisa Bekele
. He competed at his first IAAF World Half Marathon Championships
in May of that year, finishing just outside of the top twenty runners with a time of 1:03:05. He competed on the track at the African Athletics Championships
, taking sixth place in the 10,000 metres race in Radès
, Tunisia
, rounding off a modest debut year.
The 2003 season saw Zersenay establish himself as an emerging force in cross country: he broke into the top ten at the 2003 IAAF World Cross Country Championships
, and finished in the top three in all of his six races in Europe that winter. A 5000 metres
win at the KBC Night of Athletics
brought Zersenay an Eritrean record
of 13:11.07, and a place at the IAAF World Championships in Athletics
. At the 2003 World Championships
, he improved his record further to 13:05.57 and finished in eighth place in the 5000 metres final. More improvements came at the World Half Marathon Championships
in Vilamoura
, Portugal
, where he recorded a personal best of 1:01:26 to finish in seventh position.
Spain
and brought the team victory at the European Clubs' Cross Country Cup in February. The following month he bettered his previous showings at the World Cross Country Championships
with a sixth-place finish. With the help of team mates Yonas Kifle
and Tesfayohannes Mesfen
, among others, he took Eritrea to third position in the team competition – the first time the country had reached the podium at a world cross country event. Two months later he finished second in the 10 km Great Manchester Run
; his time of 27:59 was five seconds behind winner Craig Mottram
. He took to the track in June at a meeting in Gavà
, Spain, and recorded another national record, this time in the 10,000 m with a time of 27:32.61.
The peak of his season came at the 2004 Athens Olympics, where he became the first person in Eritrean sporting history to win an Olympic medal. Zersenay took the bronze in the 10,000 metres
at the 2004 Summer Olympics
in Athens, Greece behind Kenenisa Bekele, and Sileshi Sihine
. His performance of 27:22.57 represented a dramatic improvement as he had beaten his previous best by ten seconds, despite unfavourably hot conditions. Zersenay refused to politicise his medal win behind his Ethiopia
n counterparts, stating: "we have always been friends with the Ethiopians. Now we are a nation...I can say I am very happy." The Eritrean-born runner Meb Keflezighi, representing the United States, won silver in the marathon a few days later, highlighting the country's improving standards. Zersenay finished his first Olympics by reaching another event final: he took seventh place in the men's 5000 metres race, confirming his position as a world-class runner.
He opened 2005 with a second win in the European Clubs' Cross Country Cup. He won his first World Cross Country Championship medal soon after, finishing second to Bekele to take silver at the 2005 edition
. On the track, he recorded a 5000 m personal best of at the Qatar Grand Prix
in Doha
, and qualified to compete at the World Championships in both the 5000 and 10,000 m. At the 2005 World Championships
, he broke the national record in the 10,000 m final, but his time of 27:12.82 was only enough for sixth. The 5000 m final held little reprieve for the Eritrean as he finished in second last position. He ended the season on a positive note, however, improving his 10,000 m best to 27:04.70 at the Memorial Van Damme
, and winning the Great North Run
with a world best time of 59:05 – which was only his second outing over the half marathon distance.
, but his fourth-place finish headed the Eritrean team towards silver medal in the team competition. The following month, Zersenay overcame both Fabiano Joseph
and Boniface Kiprop
to win the Great Manchester Run. He sprinted to the line with a finishing time of 27:36; an Eritrean record and the second fastest that year. In August that year, he significantly improved his 10,000 m best at Memorial Van Damme; his time of 26:37.25 knocked almost thirty seconds off his previous mark, but he still finished behind the emerging Micah Kogo
who ran the tenth fastest ever time. A new best of 59:16 by Zersenay at the Rotterdam Half Marathon
equalled Samuel Wanjiru
's course record and boded well for the upcoming championship race.
He scored a striking victory at the 2006 IAAF World Road Running Championships
in Debrecen
, Hungary
, finishing the 20 km race in 56:01 – a time which was second only to Haile Gebrselassie's world record and was forty seconds faster than the silver medallist Robert Kipchumba
. It was first time that an Eritrean had won a major world title in sport. As Zersenay did not possess a strong sprint finish (crucial for success on the track) commentators suggested that a move to the marathon distance seemed an obvious career progression, but he downplayed the idea, stating that he would not change distances in the near future. He closed the season with a run at the New Year's Eve
10 km road race: the San Silvestre Vallecana
in Madrid. Zersenay and Eliud Kipchoge
were awarded the same time of 26:54, but Kipchoge was announced as the race winner. Although this was faster than Haile Gebrselassie
's world record of 27:02 at the time, it was not ratifiable as the runners benefited from the race's downhill circuit.
The 2007 season brought Zersenay his greatest medal haul, as he succeeded on grass, track and road. For the first time in his career he overcame all opposition, including five-time champion Kenenisa Bekele, to become the 2007 World Cross Country Champion
. The hot conditions in Mombasa
forced a number of runners out of the race, but Zersenay maintained his pace to finish over twenty seconds ahead of the next runner. At the Cáceres Half Marathon, he stated his intention to try for the world record and, although he won the race, poor pacing left him some distance from a record time. He returned to the Great Manchester Run and again improved his best, recording 27:24, but this was not enough to beat Micah Kogo who won in a UK all-comers record time. He competed at the Prefontaine Classic
for the first time, and set a two miles best of 8:19.34, although he was some distance behind winner Craig Mottram.
The 2007 All-Africa Games
represented a double landmark victory for Zersenay: he became the first Eritrean medallist in the competition's history, and won his first ever gold medal on the track, sealing victory in the 10,000 m final
with a Games record time of 27:00.30. The following month he competed at the 2007 World Championships in Athletics
, and he edged closer to a podium finish – he led the 10,000 m race up to the 8 km mark, setting a fast pace, but ultimately ended up in fourth position. Preparing for the road championships that year, he ran the 10-mile Dam tot Damloop
race in September and won in 45:51 (the world's fastest that season), finishing some distance ahead of runners up Bernard Kipyego
and James Rotich. Zersenay emphasised his position as one of the world's most dominant half marathon runners with a second victory at the 2007 IAAF World Road Running Championships
in Udine
, Italy. Although he was close to world record pace at the 15 km point, he slowed behind the leading pack of Makau Musyoki, Evans Kiprop Cheruiyot and Deriba Merga. In the final kilometre, he burst away to take the lead and the gold medal, setting a national and championship record time of 58:59 in the process. Following these achievements, a medical team did a study of his running economy
and found him to be one of the most efficient runners ever to be tested.
race, Zersenay was pipped by the Ethiopian at the line, finishing just one second behind. The following month, Zersenay beat Eliud Kipchoge
to win the Cinque Mulini
race in the build up to the 2008 IAAF World Cross Country Championships
. On the day of the Championship race in Edinburgh
, Scotland
, Zersenay took the lead early on and set a strong pace at the mid-race point. However, near the finish Bekele and Kenyan Leonard Komon
surged ahead to leave Zersenay as the bronze medallist.
A win at the World 10K Bangalore
, where he beat Moses Kipsiro
in 27:51, was the highlight of a low-key build up to the 2008 Beijing Olympics. In August, Zersenay was among some forty runners competing for the medals in the 10,000 metres Olympic final. Zersenay's brother, Kidane, was also competing and he led for most of first half of what was a quick race. Zersenay Tadese had the lead at the 7–8000 m mark but Bekele and Sihine sprinted into first and second. Although Zersenay's time almost equalled the previous Olympic record for the event, he ended up one second behind Kenyans Moses Masai and Micah Kogo, taking fifth place overall.
After the Olympics, Zersenay returned to Eritrea and trained for one month to prepare for the 2008 World Half Marathon Championships
in Rio de Janeiro
. He won his third consecutive title over the half marathon distance with ease, taking the lead early on and beating the second-placed Patrick Makau Musyoki by almost two minutes. His success caused much celebration in his home country, so much so that the President of Eritrea greeted him at the airport upon his return. With a strong history in the half marathon, Zersenay announced he would try the full marathon distance the following season.
Zersenay took third place at the 2009 IAAF World Cross Country Championships
in a closely contested race, finishing just behind a resurgent Gebregziabher Gebremariam and Ugandan runner Moses Kipsiro. He competed in his first ever full-length marathon
in April, signing up for the London Marathon
. His first appearance over the distance was much anticipated following his cross country and track success, but he could not finish the race, pulling out around the 35 km mark.
He rebounded, however, taking silver in the 10,000 metres
at the 2009 World Championships in Athletics
, finishing behind Kenenisa Bekele
. Zersenay had led for a large part of the race, setting a fast pace, but he was beaten to the gold by Bekele's sprint finish. Following this, he won his third World Half Marathon
title, setting a Championship record
of 59:35 and also winning a silver medal with Eritrea in the team competition. The gold medal over the half marathon distance made him the second runner ever to win a World Championship medal in cross country, track and road racing all in the same year, a feat achieved previously by only Paul Tergat
.
Zersenay's first road race of 2010 was the Lisbon Half Marathon
. The organisers had modified the course and assembled a field of fast runners in order to facilitate a quick race. Despite the top five athletes all running personal best times, Zersenay was alone at the very front from 10 km onwards. He fell four seconds short of the 15 km world record, but significantly revised Haile Gebrselassie's four-year-old 20 km world mark to 55:21, beating it by almost half a minute. Samuel Wanjiru's half marathon world record was next to fall as Zersenay crossed the line at 58:23 minutes, a clear ten seconds ahead of the previous mark. He managed to finish his first full-marathon at the 2010 London Marathon
, although his time of 2:12:03 for seventh place was not as strong a transition as expected. He made his first appearance at the Giro di Castelbuono
in Sicily
in July and, although he described the course as "very hard", he won the race ahead of Samuel Wanjiru. He attempted for yet another title at the 2010 IAAF World Half Marathon Championships
, but Wilson Kiprop
brought an end to his four-year reign – the Eritrean took the silver medal, labouring towards the end and pulling up in injured at the line. He was still suffering from the injury at the San Silvestre Vallecana
some two months later, although he managed to beat Ayad Lamdassem
to win the race.
He was at full strength at the 2011 Lisbon Half Marathon: he missed his world record mark but ran the second fastest of all-time (58:30 minutes).
's newest and less populous countries, and Zersenay's achievements on the world athletics stage have made him one of the country's most identifiable sportsmen. He is a popular public figure in his home country; 2500 guests attended his wedding to Merhawit Solomon, which was broadcast live on Eritrean television. His brother, Kidane Tadese, is also a professional distance runner who has competed at the World Cross Country Championships and the 2008 Summer Olympics.
Eritrea
Eritrea , officially the State of Eritrea, is a country in the Horn of Africa. Eritrea derives it's name from the Greek word Erethria, meaning 'red land'. The capital is Asmara. It is bordered by Sudan in the west, Ethiopia in the south, and Djibouti in the southeast...
n long-distance track
Long-distance track event
Long-distance track event races require runners to balance their energy. These types of races are predominantly aerobic in nature and at the highest level, exceptional levels of aerobic endurance is required more than anything else...
, and 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...
athlete
Track and field
Track and field is a sport comprising various competitive athletic contests based around the activities of running, jumping and throwing. The name of the sport derives from the venue for the competitions: a stadium which features an oval running track surrounding a grassy area...
. He currently holds the men's 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...
world record. His 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...
in the 10,000 metres at the 2004 Athens Olympics made him the first ever Eritrean Olympic medallist, and his 20 km title at the 2006 IAAF World Road Running Championships
2006 IAAF World Road Running Championships
The 1st IAAF World Road Running Championships were held in Debrecen, Hungary on 8 October 2006, the women's race starting at 11:00 and the men's race at 13:00. This was the first time the title of World Road Running Champion had been competed for, with this competition replacing the IAAF World Half...
also made him the country's first athlete to win at a world championship
World championship
A world championship is the top achievement for any sport or contest. The title is usually awarded by contests, ranking systems, stature, ability, etc. This determines the best nation, team, individual in the world in a particular field. Certain sports do not have a world championship, instead...
event. He does not use a sprint finish to win races: his strategy relies upon a combination of efficient running
Running economy
Running economy is a measure of how efficiently a person uses oxygen while running at a given pace. Expressed as the rate of oxygen consumption per distance covered , running economy is the energy required running submaximally at a given velocity. Those who are able to consume less oxygen while...
and fast pace setting.
Zersenay ('Tadese' is his father's name) has found most of his success over the 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...
distance, with three consecutive victories in the World Half Marathon Championships
IAAF World Half Marathon Championships
The IAAF World Half Marathon Championships is an annual half marathon competition organised by the International Association of Athletics Federations. It was contested from 1992 to 2005, and replaced by the IAAF World Road Running Championships, a 20 kilometres race which had its inaugural...
from 2007 to 2009, and a world record at the Lisbon Half Marathon
Lisbon Half Marathon
First held in 1991, the race has consistently delivered fast winning times. However, many of these times have been unratifiable for record purposes due to factors including: the course being too short , excessive tailwinds, as well as there being an excessive drop in altitude, which boosted...
in 2010. He has also excelled in cross country running
Cross country running
Cross country running is a sport in which people run a race on open-air courses over natural terrain. The course, typically long, may include surfaces of grass and earth, pass through woodlands and open country, and include hills, flat ground and sometimes gravel road...
, winning a gold
Gold medal
A gold medal is typically the medal awarded for highest achievement in a non-military field. Its name derives from the use of at least a fraction of gold in form of plating or alloying in its manufacture...
, one silver
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....
, and two bronze medals in the long distance race over the last five 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 2009 Zersenay became only the second man (after Paul Tergat
Paul Tergat
Paul Kibii Tergat is a Kenyan professional long distance runner. He held the world record in the marathon from 2003 to 2007, with a time of 2:04:55, and is regarded as one of the most accomplished long-distance runners of all time.Now concentrating exclusively on the marathon, Tergat won many...
) to win three World Championship medals over three different surfaces in the same year: winning World Cross Country
2009 IAAF World Cross Country Championships
The 37th IAAF World Cross Country Championships were held in the Al Bisharat Golf Course at Amman, Jordan on 28 March 2009. Four races took place, one for men, women, junior men and junior women respectively. All races encompassed both individual and team competition...
bronze, 10,000 metres World Championship
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....
silver on the track, and gold in road running at the World Half Marathon Championships
2009 IAAF World Half Marathon Championships
The 2009 IAAF World Half Marathon Championships was held in Birmingham, United Kingdom on 11 October 2009. It was the final event of the International Association of Athletics Federations' 2009 World Athletics Series.-Organisation:...
. He is a popular public figure in his home country; 2500 guests attended his wedding to Merhawit Solomon, which was broadcast live on Eritrean television. His brother, Kidane Tadese, is also a professional distance runner.
Early life
Zersenay Tadese was born in Adi Bana, Eritrea, and had a peaceful, rural upbringing with his six siblings, largely avoiding the troubles of the Eritrean War of IndependenceEritrean War of Independence
The Eritrean War of Independence was a conflict fought between the Ethiopian government and Eritrean separatists, both before and during the Ethiopian Civil War. The war started when Eritrea’s autonomy within Ethiopia, where troops were already stationed, was unilaterally revoked...
. He became interested in cycling
Bicycle racing
Bicycle racing is a competition sport in which various types of bicycles are used. There are several categories of bicycle racing including road bicycle racing, cyclo-cross, mountain bike racing, track cycling, BMX, bike trials, and cycle speedway. Bicycle racing is recognised as an Olympic sport...
in his teenage years and, after winning a number of races, he set his sights upon becoming a professional cyclist in Europe. However, the races of 30–50 km fell short of the distances needed to compete on the European circuit and he was ill-prepared for a transition to top-level cycling.
He was a relative late-comer to competitive running
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...
: in his late teens, scouts from a local athletics club suggested that his cycling stamina might translate to running and invited him to compete. He won the race and was spurred on by the victory to start taking the sport seriously and focus on running. Zersenay was adamant that his early years in cycling had given him a firm foundation for endurance running.
His first foray into the international athletics circuit came in 2002, when he attended the 2002 IAAF World Cross Country Championships
2002 IAAF World Cross Country Championships
The 30th IAAF World Cross Country Championships were held 23-24 March 2002 in Dublin, Republic of Ireland.- Individual :- Team :- Individual :- Team :- Individual :- Team :- Individual :- Team :- Individual :- Team :...
in Dublin. Although he was wearing ill-fitting shoes and was somewhat puzzled at hearing a starting gun for the first time, he managed to finish in 30th place with a time of 36 minutes and 37 seconds. However, he remained some distance off the winner Kenenisa Bekele
Kenenisa Bekele
Kenenisa Bekele is an Ethiopian long-distance runner, who holds the world record and Olympic record in both the 5000 metres and 10,000 metres events...
. He competed at his first IAAF World Half Marathon Championships
IAAF World Half Marathon Championships
The IAAF World Half Marathon Championships is an annual half marathon competition organised by the International Association of Athletics Federations. It was contested from 1992 to 2005, and replaced by the IAAF World Road Running Championships, a 20 kilometres race which had its inaugural...
in May of that year, finishing just outside of the top twenty runners with a time of 1:03:05. He competed on the track at the African Athletics Championships
2002 African Championships in Athletics
The 13th African Championships in Athletics were held in Tunis and Radès, Tunisia in August, 2002.- Men's Results :-Field:-Track:-Field:-Medal table:-External links:* - GBR Athletics...
, taking sixth place in the 10,000 metres race in Radès
Radès
Radès is a harbour city in Ben Arous Governorate, Tunisia. Situated 9 kilometres south-east of the capital Tunis, some consider it a Tunis suburb, and parts of the harbour installations of Tunis are located in Radès....
, Tunisia
Tunisia
Tunisia , officially the Tunisian RepublicThe long name of Tunisia in other languages used in the country is: , is the northernmost country in Africa. It is a Maghreb country and is bordered by Algeria to the west, Libya to the southeast, and the Mediterranean Sea to the north and east. Its area...
, rounding off a modest debut year.
The 2003 season saw Zersenay establish himself as an emerging force in cross country: he broke into the top ten 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 :...
, and finished in the top three in all of his six races in Europe that winter. A 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...
win at the KBC Night of Athletics
KBC Night of Athletics
The KBC Night of Athletics is an annual athletics event at the Stadium De Veen in Heusden-Zolder, Belgium. It is official presented and sponsored by the KBC Bank.-Men:-Women:-External links:* *...
brought Zersenay an Eritrean record
Eritrean records in athletics
The following are the national records in athletics in Eritrea maintained by the Eritrean National Athletics Federation.-Men:-Women:-Men:-Women:-External links:...
of 13:11.07, and a place at the IAAF World Championships in Athletics
IAAF World Championships in Athletics
The World Championships in Athletics is an event organized by the International Association of Athletics Federations . Originally, it was organised every four years, but this changed in 1991, and it has since been organised biennially.-History:...
. At the 2003 World Championships
2003 World Championships in Athletics
The 9th World Championships in Athletics, under the auspices of the International Association of Athletics Federations, were held from 23 August to 31 August 2003 in the Stade de France in Saint-Denis, Seine-Saint-Denis, France.-Track:...
, he improved his record further to 13:05.57 and finished in eighth place in the 5000 metres final. More improvements came at the World Half Marathon Championships
2003 IAAF World Half Marathon Championships
The 12th IAAF World Half Marathon Championships was held on October 4, 2003 in Vilamoura, Portugal. A total of 171 athletes, 98 men and 73 women, from 49 countries took part.-Individual:-Team:-Individual:-Team:-External links:*...
in Vilamoura
Vilamoura
Vilamoura is in the municipality of Loulé, in the Algarve, Portugal. Its boundaries lie within the parish of Quarteira. Vilamoura is a purpose built resort and Marina which was started from scratch by a wealthy banker from Porto, Cupertino de Miranda. The resort was started in 1974 and is still...
, Portugal
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
, where he recorded a personal best of 1:01:26 to finish in seventh position.
Olympic medallist
The 2004 season represented a breakthrough for Zersenay and he established himself as a serious contender in distance running. He signed a contract with AdidasAdidas
Adidas AG is a German sports apparel manufacturer and parent company of the Adidas Group, which consists of the Reebok sportswear company, TaylorMade-Adidas golf company , and Rockport...
Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
and brought the team victory at the European Clubs' Cross Country Cup in February. The following month he bettered his previous showings at the World Cross Country Championships
2004 IAAF World Cross Country Championships
The 32nd IAAF World Cross Country Championships were held 19-20 March 2004 in Brussels, the capital of Belgium.- Individual :- Team :- Individual :- Team :- Individual :- Team :- Individual :- Team :- Individual :- Team :...
with a sixth-place finish. With the help of team mates Yonas Kifle
Yonas Kifle
Yonas Kifle is an Eritrean runner who specializes in the 10,000 metres, the half marathon and cross-country running. He was born in Adi Billai. He has represented Eritrea at the Olympics on three occasions; in 2000, 2004 and 2008...
and Tesfayohannes Mesfen
Tesfayohannes Mesfen
Tesfayohannes Mesfen is an Eritrean runner who specializes in the half marathon and cross-country running.-Achievements:-Personal bests:*5000 metres - 13:27.06 min *10,000 metres - 28:19.88 min...
, among others, he took Eritrea to third position in the team competition – the first time the country had reached the podium at a world cross country event. Two months later he finished second in the 10 km Great Manchester Run
Great Manchester Run
The Bupa Great Manchester Run is an annual 10 kilometre run through the streets in Manchester city centre, which was established in 2003. Usually held in mid-May, it is among the largest and most prestigious mass participation runs in the United Kingdom...
; his time of 27:59 was five seconds behind winner Craig Mottram
Craig Mottram
Craig Mottram is an Australian long distance and middle distance runner.-Biography:Born on 18 June 1980 in Frankston, Victoria, Mottram specialises in the 5000 m event. He attended the prestigious Geelong Grammar School. At 6 feet 2 inches he is unusually tall for a distance runner.Amongst...
. He took to the track in June at a meeting in Gavà
Gavà
Gavà is a municipality in Barcelona Province , bordering the coast of the Mediterranean Sea between Viladecans and Castelldefels; not to get confused with the village of Gava in the Szabolcs-Szatmár-Bereg county, in the Northern Great Plain region of eastern Hungary.Gavà has a beach and two...
, Spain, and recorded another national record, this time in the 10,000 m with a time of 27:32.61.
The peak of his season came at the 2004 Athens Olympics, where he became the first person in Eritrean sporting history to win an Olympic medal. Zersenay took the bronze in the 10,000 metres
Athletics at the 2004 Summer Olympics - Men's 10,000 metres
The men's 10,000 metres was one of 23 track events of the athletics at the 2004 Summer Olympics, in Athens. It was contested at the Athens Olympic Stadium on August 20, by a total of 24 athletes from 14 nations. No preliminary rounds were held at this distance, since the number of competitors...
at the 2004 Summer Olympics
2004 Summer Olympics
The 2004 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the Games of the XXVIII Olympiad, was a premier international multi-sport event held in Athens, Greece from August 13 to August 29, 2004 with the motto Welcome Home. 10,625 athletes competed, some 600 more than expected, accompanied by 5,501 team...
in Athens, Greece behind Kenenisa Bekele, and Sileshi Sihine
Sileshi Sihine
Sileshi Sihine is an Ethiopian long-distance runner.Sihine achieved a silver medal in the 10,000 metres at the 2004 Athens Olympics and the 2008 Beijing Olympics as well as at the 2005 World Championships and 2007 World Championships as well as a bronze medal in 2003...
. His performance of 27:22.57 represented a dramatic improvement as he had beaten his previous best by ten seconds, despite unfavourably hot conditions. Zersenay refused to politicise his medal win behind his Ethiopia
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 counterparts, stating: "we have always been friends with the Ethiopians. Now we are a nation...I can say I am very happy." The Eritrean-born runner Meb Keflezighi, representing the United States, won silver in the marathon a few days later, highlighting the country's improving standards. Zersenay finished his first Olympics by reaching another event final: he took seventh place in the men's 5000 metres race, confirming his position as a world-class runner.
He opened 2005 with a second win in the European Clubs' Cross Country Cup. He won his first World Cross Country Championship medal soon after, finishing second to Bekele to take silver at the 2005 edition
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 :...
. On the track, he recorded a 5000 m personal best of at the Qatar Grand Prix
Qatar Athletic Super Grand Prix
The Qatar Athletic Super Grand Prix is an annual athletics event at the Qatar SC Stadium in Doha, Qatar. Previously one of the five IAAF Super Grand Prix events, it is now part of the IAAF Diamond League. It was first organized in 1997.-Men:-Women:...
in Doha
Doha
Doha is the capital city of the state of Qatar. Located on the Persian Gulf, it had a population of 998,651 in 2008, and is also one of the municipalities of Qatar...
, and qualified to compete at the World Championships in both the 5000 and 10,000 m. At the 2005 World Championships
2005 World Championships in Athletics
The 10th World Championships in Athletics, under the auspices of the International Association of Athletics Federations , were held in the Olympic Stadium, Helsinki, Finland , the site of the first IAAF World Championships in 1983. One theme of the 2005 championships was paralympic sports, some of...
, he broke the national record in the 10,000 m final, but his time of 27:12.82 was only enough for sixth. The 5000 m final held little reprieve for the Eritrean as he finished in second last position. He ended the season on a positive note, however, improving his 10,000 m best to 27:04.70 at the Memorial Van Damme
Memorial Van Damme
Memorial van Damme is an annual athletics event at the King Baudouin Stadium in Brussels, Belgium that takes place in late August or early September...
, and winning 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...
with a world best time of 59:05 – which was only his second outing over the half marathon distance.
Road running and cross country champion
Zersenay failed to make the podium for a second time at the 2006 World Cross Country Championships2006 IAAF World Cross Country Championships
The 34th IAAF World Cross Country Championships were held 1-2 April 2006 in Fukuoka, Japan.The event was once again dominated by Ethiopian and Kenyan runners and also Eritrean runners...
, but his fourth-place finish headed the Eritrean team towards silver medal in the team competition. The following month, Zersenay overcame both Fabiano Joseph
Fabiano Joseph
Fabiano Joseph Naasi is a Tanzanian long-distance runner.-Achievements:-References:**...
and Boniface Kiprop
Boniface Kiprop
Boniface Toroitich Kiprop is a track and field athlete from Uganda.At the 2001 African Junior Championships in Mauritius he competed at 5000 and 10000 metres, finishing 1st and 2nd, respectively. Two years later the championships were held in Cameroon, and he won both events...
to win the Great Manchester Run. He sprinted to the line with a finishing time of 27:36; an Eritrean record and the second fastest that year. In August that year, he significantly improved his 10,000 m best at Memorial Van Damme; his time of 26:37.25 knocked almost thirty seconds off his previous mark, but he still finished behind the emerging Micah Kogo
Micah Kogo
Micah Kemboi Kogo is a Kenyan long-distance runner, who specializes in the 10,000 metres. He is the former world record holder in the 10 kilometres road race event with a time of 27:01, which he lost to countryman Leonard Komon on September 27, 2010...
who ran the tenth fastest ever time. A new best of 59:16 by Zersenay at the Rotterdam Half Marathon
Rotterdam Half Marathon
The Rotterdam Half Marathon was an annual half marathon race over 21.1 kilometres, that was staged in Rotterdam, the Netherlands on the second Sunday in September. The event was contested from 2004 to 2009. It was discontinued in 2010 due to lacking participation.- Winners :-External links:* from...
equalled 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 boded well for the upcoming championship race.
He scored a striking victory at the 2006 IAAF World Road Running Championships
2006 IAAF World Road Running Championships
The 1st IAAF World Road Running Championships were held in Debrecen, Hungary on 8 October 2006, the women's race starting at 11:00 and the men's race at 13:00. This was the first time the title of World Road Running Champion had been competed for, with this competition replacing the IAAF World Half...
in Debrecen
Debrecen
Debrecen , is the second largest city in Hungary after Budapest. Debrecen is the regional centre of the Northern Great Plain region and the seat of Hajdú-Bihar county.- Name :...
, Hungary
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
, finishing the 20 km race in 56:01 – a time which was second only to Haile Gebrselassie's world record and was forty seconds faster than the silver medallist Robert Kipchumba
Robert Kipchumba
Robert Kipkorir Kipchumba is a Kenyan long distance track, and road running athlete....
. It was first time that an Eritrean had won a major world title in sport. As Zersenay did not possess a strong sprint finish (crucial for success on the track) commentators suggested that a move to the marathon distance seemed an obvious career progression, but he downplayed the idea, stating that he would not change distances in the near future. He closed the season with a run at the New Year's Eve
New Year's Eve
New Year's Eve is observed annually on December 31, the final day of any given year in the Gregorian calendar. In modern societies, New Year's Eve is often celebrated at social gatherings, during which participants dance, eat, consume alcoholic beverages, and watch or light fireworks to mark the...
10 km road race: the San Silvestre Vallecana
San Silvestre Vallecana
The San Silvestre Vallecana is an annual 10 km road race celebrated on December 31 in Madrid since 1964, in the borough of Vallecas, Spain. It is has two editions: a fun run for amateur athletes and an elite race for professional athletes....
in Madrid. Zersenay and Eliud Kipchoge
Eliud Kipchoge
Eliud Kipchoge is a Kenyan long distance runner who has won medals at Olympic and World level....
were awarded the same time of 26:54, but Kipchoge was announced as the race winner. Although this was faster than 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...
's world record of 27:02 at the time, it was not ratifiable as the runners benefited from the race's downhill circuit.
The 2007 season brought Zersenay his greatest medal haul, as he succeeded on grass, track and road. For the first time in his career he overcame all opposition, including five-time champion Kenenisa Bekele, to become the 2007 World Cross Country Champion
2007 IAAF World Cross Country Championships
The 35th IAAF World Cross Country Championships were held in Mombasa, Kenya on 24 March, 2007. Four races took place, one for men, women, junior men and junior women respectively. All races encompassed both individual and team competition...
. The hot conditions in Mombasa
Mombasa
Mombasa is the second-largest city in Kenya. Lying next to the Indian Ocean, it has a major port and an international airport. The city also serves as the centre of the coastal tourism industry....
forced a number of runners out of the race, but Zersenay maintained his pace to finish over twenty seconds ahead of the next runner. At the Cáceres Half Marathon, he stated his intention to try for the world record and, although he won the race, poor pacing left him some distance from a record time. He returned to the Great Manchester Run and again improved his best, recording 27:24, but this was not enough to beat Micah Kogo who won in a UK all-comers record time. He competed at the Prefontaine Classic
Prefontaine Classic
The Prefontaine Classic is one of the premier track and field meets in the United States. Every year it draws a world caliber field to compete at the University of Oregon's Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon.-History:...
for the first time, and set a two miles best of 8:19.34, although he was some distance behind winner Craig Mottram.
The 2007 All-Africa Games
2007 All-Africa Games
The 9th All-Africa Games took place between 11 and 23 July 2007 in Algiers, the capital city of Algeria. Algiers is the first city to hold All-Africa Games for a second time. The 1978 All-Africa Games were held there...
represented a double landmark victory for Zersenay: he became the first Eritrean medallist in the competition's history, and won his first ever gold medal on the track, sealing victory in the 10,000 m final
Athletics at the 2007 All-Africa Games
The athletics competition at the 2007 All-Africa Games was held on the Stade 5 Juillet 1962 in Algiers, Algeria between 18 July and 22 July 2007. Nigeria was the most successful nation of the competition having won nine golds and 24 medals in total. South Africa was a close second with seven golds...
with a Games record time of 27:00.30. The following month he competed 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...
, and he edged closer to a podium finish – he led the 10,000 m race up to the 8 km mark, setting a fast pace, but ultimately ended up in fourth position. Preparing for the road championships that year, he ran the 10-mile Dam tot Damloop
Dam tot Damloop
Dam tot Damloop is an annual road running competition held in the Netherlands. It is a 10-mile race from Amsterdam to Zaandam. The event was first held in 1985.-Winners:- External links :**...
race in September and won in 45:51 (the world's fastest that season), finishing some distance ahead of runners up Bernard Kipyego
Bernard Kipyego
Bernard Kiprop Kipyego is a Kenyan long-distance runner who competes in the marathon.Kipyego's first international highlight came as a junior at the 2005 IAAF World Cross Country Championships, where he took the silver medal in the junior race to form a Kenyan sweep of the medals, alongside...
and James Rotich. Zersenay emphasised his position as one of the world's most dominant half marathon runners with a second victory at the 2007 IAAF World Road Running Championships
2007 IAAF World Road Running Championships
The 2007 IAAF World Road Running Championships were held in Udine, Italy on 14 October 2007.-Individual:-Team:-Individual:-Team:...
in Udine
Udine
Udine is a city and comune in northeastern Italy, in the middle of Friuli-Venezia Giulia region, between the Adriatic sea and the Alps , less than 40 km from the Slovenian border. Its population was 99,439 in 2009, and that of its urban area was 175,000.- History :Udine is the historical...
, Italy. Although he was close to world record pace at the 15 km point, he slowed behind the leading pack of Makau Musyoki, Evans Kiprop Cheruiyot and Deriba Merga. In the final kilometre, he burst away to take the lead and the gold medal, setting a national and championship record time of 58:59 in the process. Following these achievements, a medical team did a study of his running economy
Running economy
Running economy is a measure of how efficiently a person uses oxygen while running at a given pace. Expressed as the rate of oxygen consumption per distance covered , running economy is the energy required running submaximally at a given velocity. Those who are able to consume less oxygen while...
and found him to be one of the most efficient runners ever to be tested.
World Half Marathon champion
Bekele was keen to regain his cross country title from Zersenay and the 2008 cross country season was a competitive one. At the Great Edinburgh International Cross CountryGreat Edinburgh International Cross Country
The Great Edinburgh International Cross Country is an annual cross country running competition that takes place every January in Edinburgh, Scotland. It is one of the competitions in the Great Run series of athletics events and is held alongside the Great Winter Run 5 kilometres mass...
race, Zersenay was pipped by the Ethiopian at the line, finishing just one second behind. The following month, Zersenay beat Eliud Kipchoge
Eliud Kipchoge
Eliud Kipchoge is a Kenyan long distance runner who has won medals at Olympic and World level....
to win the Cinque Mulini
Cinque Mulini
The Cinque Mulini is an annual cross country running race in San Vittore Olona, Italy. First held in 1933, the course is unusual in that it revolves around a number of water mills, which lend the competition its name – meaning Five Mills in Italian. It is one of the IAAF cross country permit...
race in the build up to the 2008 IAAF World Cross Country Championships
2008 IAAF World Cross Country Championships
The 36th IAAF World Cross Country Championships were held in the Holyrood Park at Edinburgh, Scotland on 30 March 2008. Four races took place, one for men, women, junior men and junior women respectively. All races encompassed both individual and team competition...
. On the day of the Championship race in Edinburgh
Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
, Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
, Zersenay took the lead early on and set a strong pace at the mid-race point. However, near the finish Bekele and Kenyan Leonard Komon
Leonard Komon
Leonard Patrick Komon is a Kenyan long-distance runner and the current world record holder in the 10 kilometres and 15 km road races....
surged ahead to leave Zersenay as the bronze medallist.
A win at 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...
, where he beat Moses Kipsiro
Moses Kipsiro
Moses Ndiema Kipsiro is a Ugandan long-distance runner who specializes in the 5000 metres. He was the bronze medallist in the event at the 2007 World Championships in Athletics...
in 27:51, was the highlight of a low-key build up to the 2008 Beijing Olympics. In August, Zersenay was among some forty runners competing for the medals in the 10,000 metres Olympic final. Zersenay's brother, Kidane, was also competing and he led for most of first half of what was a quick race. Zersenay Tadese had the lead at the 7–8000 m mark but Bekele and Sihine sprinted into first and second. Although Zersenay's time almost equalled the previous Olympic record for the event, he ended up one second behind Kenyans Moses Masai and Micah Kogo, taking fifth place overall.
After the Olympics, Zersenay returned to Eritrea and trained for one month to prepare for the 2008 World Half Marathon Championships
2008 IAAF World Half Marathon Championships
The 2008 IAAF World Half Marathon Championships were held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil on 12 October 2008.This event was first announced as the 2008 IAAF World Road Running Championships, but in November 2007, the IAAF announced that the name of the IAAF World Road Running Championships would revert...
in Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro , commonly referred to simply as Rio, is the capital city of the State of Rio de Janeiro, the second largest city of Brazil, and the third largest metropolitan area and agglomeration in South America, boasting approximately 6.3 million people within the city proper, making it the 6th...
. He won his third consecutive title over the half marathon distance with ease, taking the lead early on and beating the second-placed Patrick Makau Musyoki by almost two minutes. His success caused much celebration in his home country, so much so that the President of Eritrea greeted him at the airport upon his return. With a strong history in the half marathon, Zersenay announced he would try the full marathon distance the following season.
Zersenay took third place at the 2009 IAAF World Cross Country Championships
2009 IAAF World Cross Country Championships
The 37th IAAF World Cross Country Championships were held in the Al Bisharat Golf Course at Amman, Jordan on 28 March 2009. Four races took place, one for men, women, junior men and junior women respectively. All races encompassed both individual and team competition...
in a closely contested race, finishing just behind a resurgent Gebregziabher Gebremariam and Ugandan runner Moses Kipsiro. He competed in his first ever full-length 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...
in April, signing up for 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,...
. His first appearance over the distance was much anticipated following his cross country and track success, but he could not finish the race, pulling out around the 35 km mark.
He rebounded, however, taking silver in the 10,000 metres
2009 World Championships in Athletics – Men's 10,000 metres
The Men's 10,000 metres at the 2009 World Championships in Athletics was held at the Olympic Stadium on 17 August. A large field of 31 athletes from 15 countries was set to participate in the final, although Irishman Martin Fagan did not start the competition.Kenenisa Bekele was the favourite...
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....
, finishing behind Kenenisa Bekele
Kenenisa Bekele
Kenenisa Bekele is an Ethiopian long-distance runner, who holds the world record and Olympic record in both the 5000 metres and 10,000 metres events...
. Zersenay had led for a large part of the race, setting a fast pace, but he was beaten to the gold by Bekele's sprint finish. Following this, he won his third World Half Marathon
2009 IAAF World Half Marathon Championships
The 2009 IAAF World Half Marathon Championships was held in Birmingham, United Kingdom on 11 October 2009. It was the final event of the International Association of Athletics Federations' 2009 World Athletics Series.-Organisation:...
title, setting a Championship record
IAAF World Half Marathon Championships
The IAAF World Half Marathon Championships is an annual half marathon competition organised by the International Association of Athletics Federations. It was contested from 1992 to 2005, and replaced by the IAAF World Road Running Championships, a 20 kilometres race which had its inaugural...
of 59:35 and also winning a silver medal with Eritrea in the team competition. The gold medal over the half marathon distance made him the second runner ever to win a World Championship medal in cross country, track and road racing all in the same year, a feat achieved previously by only Paul Tergat
Paul Tergat
Paul Kibii Tergat is a Kenyan professional long distance runner. He held the world record in the marathon from 2003 to 2007, with a time of 2:04:55, and is regarded as one of the most accomplished long-distance runners of all time.Now concentrating exclusively on the marathon, Tergat won many...
.
Zersenay's first road race of 2010 was the Lisbon Half Marathon
Lisbon Half Marathon
First held in 1991, the race has consistently delivered fast winning times. However, many of these times have been unratifiable for record purposes due to factors including: the course being too short , excessive tailwinds, as well as there being an excessive drop in altitude, which boosted...
. The organisers had modified the course and assembled a field of fast runners in order to facilitate a quick race. Despite the top five athletes all running personal best times, Zersenay was alone at the very front from 10 km onwards. He fell four seconds short of the 15 km world record, but significantly revised Haile Gebrselassie's four-year-old 20 km world mark to 55:21, beating it by almost half a minute. Samuel Wanjiru's half marathon world record was next to fall as Zersenay crossed the line at 58:23 minutes, a clear ten seconds ahead of the previous mark. He managed to finish his first full-marathon 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...
, although his time of 2:12:03 for seventh place was not as strong a transition as expected. He made his first appearance at the Giro di Castelbuono
Giro di Castelbuono
The Giro di Castelbuono is an annual road running competition over 10 kilometres which takes place in Castelbuono, on the island of Sicily, Italy...
in Sicily
Sicily
Sicily is a region of Italy, and is the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea. Along with the surrounding minor islands, it constitutes an autonomous region of Italy, the Regione Autonoma Siciliana Sicily has a rich and unique culture, especially with regard to the arts, music, literature,...
in July and, although he described the course as "very hard", he won the race ahead of Samuel Wanjiru. He attempted for yet another title at the 2010 IAAF World Half Marathon Championships
2010 IAAF World Half Marathon Championships
The 2010 IAAF World Half Marathon Championships was held in Nanning, China on 16 October 2010. The competition took place on the city streets, beginning and ending at Wuxiang Square, with a total prize purse of US$245,000 at stake....
, but Wilson Kiprop
Wilson Kiprop
Wilson Kiprop is a Kenyan long-distance runner, who specializes in the 10,000 metres and half marathon. He was the world champion at the IAAF World Half Marathon Championships in 2010 and was the 10,000 m gold medalist at the 2010 African Championships in Athletics.He started competing at the...
brought an end to his four-year reign – the Eritrean took the silver medal, labouring towards the end and pulling up in injured at the line. He was still suffering from the injury at the San Silvestre Vallecana
San Silvestre Vallecana
The San Silvestre Vallecana is an annual 10 km road race celebrated on December 31 in Madrid since 1964, in the borough of Vallecas, Spain. It is has two editions: a fun run for amateur athletes and an elite race for professional athletes....
some two months later, although he managed to beat Ayad Lamdassem
Ayad Lamdassem
Ayad Lamdassem is a Moroccan-born long distance runner who competes for Spain internationally.He first arrived in Spain in 2002 as part of the Moroccan contingent for the World University Cross Country Championships, which was being held in Santiago de Compostela that year...
to win the race.
He was at full strength at the 2011 Lisbon Half Marathon: he missed his world record mark but ran the second fastest of all-time (58:30 minutes).
Personal life
A quietly spoken athlete, he frequently states that his victories are a tribute to his country. Eritrea is one of AfricaAfrica
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
's newest and less populous countries, and Zersenay's achievements on the world athletics stage have made him one of the country's most identifiable sportsmen. He is a popular public figure in his home country; 2500 guests attended his wedding to Merhawit Solomon, which was broadcast live on Eritrean television. His brother, Kidane Tadese, is also a professional distance runner who has competed at the World Cross Country Championships and the 2008 Summer Olympics.
Personal bests
| Surface | Event | Time (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 | 3000 m | 7:39.93 | Doha Doha Doha is the capital city of the state of Qatar. Located on the Persian Gulf, it had a population of 998,651 in 2008, and is also one of the municipalities of Qatar... , Qatar |
13 May 2005 |
| Two miles Two miles The 2 mile is a historic running distance. Like the mile run, it is still contested at some invitational meets, perhaps because it provides an easier record to break for meet promoters , as well as its historical chronology. It is largely superseded by the 3000 m and 5000 m, and by the 3200m in... |
8:19.34 | Eugene, Oregon Eugene, Oregon Eugene is the second largest city in the U.S. state of Oregon and the seat of Lane County. It is located at the south end of the Willamette Valley, at the confluence of the McKenzie and Willamette rivers, about east of the Oregon Coast.As of the 2010 U.S... , United States |
10 June 2007 | |
| 5000 m | 12:59.27 | Rome Rome Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half... , Italy |
14 July 2006 | |
| 10,000 m | 26:37.25 | Brussels Brussels Brussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union... , Belgium |
25 August 2006 | |
| Road | 10 km | 27:24 | Manchester Manchester Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater... , England |
20 May 2007 |
| 15 km | 41:34+ | Udine Udine Udine is a city and comune in northeastern Italy, in the middle of Friuli-Venezia Giulia region, between the Adriatic sea and the Alps , less than 40 km from the Slovenian border. Its population was 99,439 in 2009, and that of its urban area was 175,000.- History :Udine is the historical... , Italy |
14 October 2007 | |
| 20 km | 55:21+ | Lisbon Lisbon Lisbon is the capital city and largest city of Portugal with a population of 545,245 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Lisbon extends beyond the administrative city limits with a population of 3 million on an area of , making it the 9th most populous urban... , Portugal |
21 March 2010 | |
| 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... |
58:23 | Lisbon Lisbon Lisbon is the capital city and largest city of Portugal with a population of 545,245 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Lisbon extends beyond the administrative city limits with a population of 3 million on an area of , making it the 9th most populous urban... , Portugal |
21 March 2010 | |
| 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... |
2:12:03 | London London London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its... , England |
25 April 2010 |
- All information taken from IAAF profile.
Major competition record
| Representing | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 2002 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 2002.There was no primary championships that season, although continental championships were held in Africa, Asia and Europe. The foremost athletics competitions at... |
World Cross Country Championships 2002 IAAF World Cross Country Championships The 30th IAAF World Cross Country Championships were held 23-24 March 2002 in Dublin, Republic of Ireland.- Individual :- Team :- Individual :- Team :- Individual :- Team :- Individual :- Team :- Individual :- Team :... |
Dublin, Ireland | 30th | 12 km | 36:37 |
| World Half Marathon Championships 2002 IAAF World Half Marathon Championships The 11th IAAF World Half Marathon Championships was held on May 5, 2002 in the city of Brussels, Belgium. A total of 201 athletes, 123 men and 78 women, from 60 countries took part.-Individual:-Team:-Individual:-Team:... |
Brussels Brussels Brussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union... , Belgium |
21st | 1:03:05 | ||
| African Championships 2002 African Championships in Athletics The 13th African Championships in Athletics were held in Tunis and Radès, Tunisia in August, 2002.- Men's Results :-Field:-Track:-Field:-Medal table:-External links:* - GBR Athletics... |
Radès Radès Radès is a harbour city in Ben Arous Governorate, Tunisia. Situated 9 kilometres south-east of the capital Tunis, some consider it a Tunis suburb, and parts of the harbour installations of Tunis are located in Radès.... , Tunisia |
6th | 10,000 m | 28:47.29 | |
| 2003 2003 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 2003.The foremost competition of the year was the 2003 World Championships in Athletics, followed by the 2003 IAAF World Indoor Championships... |
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 :... |
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... , Switzerland |
9th | 12 km | 37:10 |
| World Championships 2003 World Championships in Athletics The 9th World Championships in Athletics, under the auspices of the International Association of Athletics Federations, were held from 23 August to 31 August 2003 in the Stade de France in Saint-Denis, Seine-Saint-Denis, France.-Track:... |
Paris Paris Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region... , France |
8th | 5000 m | 13:05.57 | |
| World Half Marathon Championships 2003 IAAF World Half Marathon Championships The 12th IAAF World Half Marathon Championships was held on October 4, 2003 in Vilamoura, Portugal. A total of 171 athletes, 98 men and 73 women, from 49 countries took part.-Individual:-Team:-Individual:-Team:-External links:*... |
Vilamoura Vilamoura Vilamoura is in the municipality of Loulé, in the Algarve, Portugal. Its boundaries lie within the parish of Quarteira. Vilamoura is a purpose built resort and Marina which was started from scratch by a wealthy banker from Porto, Cupertino de Miranda. The resort was started in 1974 and is still... , Portugal |
7th | 1:01:26 | ||
| 2004 2004 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 2004.The major competition of the year was the 2004 Summer Olympics. At the event, Yelena Isinbayeva cleared a world record 4.91 m in the pole vault... |
World Cross Country Championships 2004 IAAF World Cross Country Championships The 32nd IAAF World Cross Country Championships were held 19-20 March 2004 in Brussels, the capital of Belgium.- Individual :- Team :- Individual :- Team :- Individual :- Team :- Individual :- Team :- Individual :- Team :... |
Brussels Brussels Brussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union... , Belgium |
6th | 12 km | 36:37 |
| Olympic Games Athletics at the 2004 Summer Olympics At the 2004 Summer Olympics, the athletics events were held at the Athens Olympic Stadium from August 18 to August 29, except for the marathons , the race walks , and the shot put... |
Athens Athens Athens , is the capital and largest city of Greece. Athens dominates the Attica region and is one of the world's oldest cities, as its recorded history spans around 3,400 years. Classical Athens was a powerful city-state... , Greece |
3rd | 10,000 m | 27:22.57 | |
| 7th | 5000 m | 13:24.31 | |||
| 2005 2005 in athletics (track and field) This page shows the main events during the 2005 year in athletics throughout the world.-World:* World Championships* World Athletics Final* World Cross Country Championships* World Half Marathon Championships* World Youth Championships... |
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 :... |
Saint-Étienne Saint-Étienne Saint-Étienne is a city in eastern central France. It is located in the Massif Central, southwest of Lyon in the Rhône-Alpes region, along the trunk road that connects Toulouse with Lyon... , France |
2nd | 12 km | 35:20 |
| World Championships 2005 World Championships in Athletics The 10th World Championships in Athletics, under the auspices of the International Association of Athletics Federations , were held in the Olympic Stadium, Helsinki, Finland , the site of the first IAAF World Championships in 1983. One theme of the 2005 championships was paralympic sports, some of... |
Helsinki Helsinki Helsinki is the capital and largest city in Finland. It is in the region of Uusimaa, located in southern Finland, on the shore of the Gulf of Finland, an arm of the Baltic Sea. The population of the city of Helsinki is , making it by far the most populous municipality in Finland. Helsinki is... , Finland |
14th | 5000 m | 13:40.27 | |
| 6th | 10,000 m | 27:12.82 | |||
| 2006 2006 in athletics (track and field) The following events in athletics took place in 2006:-Championships:* March: 2006 IAAF World Indoor Championships * March: 2006 Commonwealth Games... |
World Cross Country Championships 2006 IAAF World Cross Country Championships The 34th IAAF World Cross Country Championships were held 1-2 April 2006 in Fukuoka, Japan.The event was once again dominated by Ethiopian and Kenyan runners and also Eritrean runners... |
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 |
4th | 12 km | 35:47 |
| World Road Running Championships 2006 IAAF World Road Running Championships The 1st IAAF World Road Running Championships were held in Debrecen, Hungary on 8 October 2006, the women's race starting at 11:00 and the men's race at 13:00. This was the first time the title of World Road Running Champion had been competed for, with this competition replacing the IAAF World Half... |
Debrecen Debrecen Debrecen , is the second largest city in Hungary after Budapest. Debrecen is the regional centre of the Northern Great Plain region and the seat of Hajdú-Bihar county.- Name :... , Hungary |
1st | 20 km | 56:01 | |
| 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... |
World Cross Country Championships 2007 IAAF World Cross Country Championships The 35th IAAF World Cross Country Championships were held in Mombasa, Kenya on 24 March, 2007. Four races took place, one for men, women, junior men and junior women respectively. All races encompassed both individual and team competition... |
Mombasa Mombasa Mombasa is the second-largest city in Kenya. Lying next to the Indian Ocean, it has a major port and an international airport. The city also serves as the centre of the coastal tourism industry.... , Kenya |
1st | 12 km | 35:50 |
| All-Africa Games Athletics at the 2007 All-Africa Games The athletics competition at the 2007 All-Africa Games was held on the Stade 5 Juillet 1962 in Algiers, Algeria between 18 July and 22 July 2007. Nigeria was the most successful nation of the competition having won nine golds and 24 medals in total. South Africa was a close second with seven golds... |
Algiers Algiers ' is the capital and largest city of Algeria. According to the 1998 census, the population of the city proper was 1,519,570 and that of the urban agglomeration was 2,135,630. In 2009, the population was about 3,500,000... , Algeria |
1st | 10,000 m | 27:00.30 GR | |
| World Championships 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... |
Osaka Osaka is a city in the Kansai region of Japan's main island of Honshu, a designated city under the Local Autonomy Law, the capital city of Osaka Prefecture and also the biggest part of Keihanshin area, which is represented by three major cities of Japan, Kyoto, Osaka and Kobe... , Japan |
4th | 10,000 m | 27:21.37 | |
| World Road Running Championships 2007 IAAF World Road Running Championships The 2007 IAAF World Road Running Championships were held in Udine, Italy on 14 October 2007.-Individual:-Team:-Individual:-Team:... |
Udine Udine Udine is a city and comune in northeastern Italy, in the middle of Friuli-Venezia Giulia region, between the Adriatic sea and the Alps , less than 40 km from the Slovenian border. Its population was 99,439 in 2009, and that of its urban area was 175,000.- History :Udine is the historical... , Italy |
1st | Half marathon | 58:59 | |
| 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... |
World Cross Country Championships 2008 IAAF World Cross Country Championships The 36th IAAF World Cross Country Championships were held in the Holyrood Park at Edinburgh, Scotland on 30 March 2008. Four races took place, one for men, women, junior men and junior women respectively. All races encompassed both individual and team competition... |
Edinburgh Edinburgh Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area... , Scotland |
3rd | 12 km | 34:43 |
| Olympic Games Athletics at the 2008 Summer Olympics Athletics at the 2008 Summer Olympics were held during the last 10 days of the games, from August 15 to August 24, 2008, at the Beijing National Stadium. The Olympic sport of athletics is split into four distinct sets of events: track and field events, road running events, and racewalking... |
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 |
5th | 10,000 m | 27:05.11 | |
| World Half Marathon Championships 2008 IAAF World Half Marathon Championships The 2008 IAAF World Half Marathon Championships were held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil on 12 October 2008.This event was first announced as the 2008 IAAF World Road Running Championships, but in November 2007, the IAAF announced that the name of the IAAF World Road Running Championships would revert... |
Rio de Janeiro Rio de Janeiro Rio de Janeiro , commonly referred to simply as Rio, is the capital city of the State of Rio de Janeiro, the second largest city of Brazil, and the third largest metropolitan area and agglomeration in South America, boasting approximately 6.3 million people within the city proper, making it the 6th... , Brazil |
1st | 59:56 | ||
| 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... |
World Cross Country Championships 2009 IAAF World Cross Country Championships The 37th IAAF World Cross Country Championships were held in the Al Bisharat Golf Course at Amman, Jordan on 28 March 2009. Four races took place, one for men, women, junior men and junior women respectively. All races encompassed both individual and team competition... |
Amman Amman Amman is the capital of Jordan. It is the country's political, cultural and commercial centre and one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world. The Greater Amman area has a population of 2,842,629 as of 2010. The population of Amman is expected to jump from 2.8 million to almost... , Jordan |
3rd | 12 km | 35:04 |
| World Championships 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.... |
Berlin Berlin Berlin 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... , Germany |
2nd | 10,000 m 2009 World Championships in Athletics – Men's 10,000 metres The Men's 10,000 metres at the 2009 World Championships in Athletics was held at the Olympic Stadium on 17 August. A large field of 31 athletes from 15 countries was set to participate in the final, although Irishman Martin Fagan did not start the competition.Kenenisa Bekele was the favourite... |
26:50.12 | |
| World Half Marathon Championships 2009 IAAF World Half Marathon Championships The 2009 IAAF World Half Marathon Championships was held in Birmingham, United Kingdom on 11 October 2009. It was the final event of the International Association of Athletics Federations' 2009 World Athletics Series.-Organisation:... |
Birmingham Birmingham Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a... , England |
1st | Half marathon | 59:35 | |
| 2010 2010 in athletics (track and field) In 2010 there was no obvious, primary athletics championship, as neither the Summer Olympics nor the World Championships in Athletics occurred in the year... |
Lisbon Half Marathon Lisbon Half Marathon First held in 1991, the race has consistently delivered fast winning times. However, many of these times have been unratifiable for record purposes due to factors including: the course being too short , excessive tailwinds, as well as there being an excessive drop in altitude, which boosted... |
Lisbon Lisbon Lisbon is the capital city and largest city of Portugal with a population of 545,245 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Lisbon extends beyond the administrative city limits with a population of 3 million on an area of , making it the 9th most populous urban... , Portugal |
1st | Half marathon | 58:23 WR |
| World Half Marathon Championships 2010 IAAF World Half Marathon Championships The 2010 IAAF World Half Marathon Championships was held in Nanning, China on 16 October 2010. The competition took place on the city streets, beginning and ending at Wuxiang Square, with a total prize purse of US$245,000 at stake.... |
Nanning Nanning Nanning is the capital of the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region in southern China. It is known as the "Green City" because of its abundance of lush tropical foliage.-History:... , China |
2nd | Half marathon | 1:00:11 | |
| 2011 2011 in athletics (track and field) In 2011, the foremost athletics event will be the 2011 World Championships in Athletics in Daegu. Other major global level competitions set to occur in 2011 are the World Cross Country Championships and the World Half Marathon Championships.... |
World Championships 2011 World Championships in Athletics The 13th IAAF World Championships in Athletics was an international athletics competition that was held in Daegu, South Korea. It started on 27 August 2011 and finished on 4 September 2011.... |
Daegu Daegu Daegu , also known as Taegu, and officially the Daegu Metropolitan City, is a city in South Korea, the fourth largest after Seoul, Busan, and Incheon, and the third largest metropolitan area in the country with over 2.5 million residents. The city is the capital and principal city of the... , South Korea |
4th | 10,000 m | 27:22.57 |