Almaz Ayana facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Almaz Ayana

Almaz at the 2015 World Championships in Athletics in Beijing
Personal information
Born	(1991-11-21) 21 November 1991 (age 33) Wenbera, Benishangul-Gumuz Region, Ethiopia
Height	1.66 m
Weight	47 kg
Sport
Country	Ethiopia
Sport	Athletics
Event(s)	Long-distance running
Team	NN Running Team (2022–)
Achievements and titles
World finals	2013 Moscow 5000 m, 3 Bronze 2015 Beijing 5000 m, 1 Gold 2017 London 5000 m, 2 Silver 10,000 m, 1 Gold
Olympic finals	2016 Rio 5000 m, 3 Bronze 10,000 m, 1 Gold
Personal best(s)	5000 m: 14:12.59 (Rome 2016) 10,000 m: 29:17.45 (Rio de Janeiro 2016) Road Half marathon: 65:30 (Lisbon 2023) Marathon: 2:17:20 (Amsterdam 2022)
Medal record Women's athletics Representing  Ethiopia Olympic Games Gold 2016 Rio de Janeiro 10,000 m Bronze 2016 Rio de Janeiro 5000 m World Championships Gold 2015 Beijing 5000 m Gold 2017 London 10,000 m Silver 2017 London 5000 m Bronze 2013 Moscow 5000 m Diamond League 2016 5000 m African Championships Gold 2014 Marrakech 5000 m Representing Africa Continental Cup Gold 2014 Marrakech 5000 m

Almaz Ayana Eba (born November 21, 1991) is a famous long-distance runner from Ethiopia. She is known for her amazing speed and endurance in races.

Almaz won a gold medal in the 10,000 metres and a bronze medal in the 5,000 metres at the 2016 Rio Olympics. She also broke the world record for the 10,000 metres at those Olympics, a record that stood for 23 years!

She has won many medals at the World Athletics Championships. These include a bronze in 2013, a gold in 2015, and another gold and a silver in 2017. In 2016, she was even named the IAAF Female World Athlete of the Year.

Almaz also made a fantastic start to her marathon career. In 2022, she ran the fastest-ever women's marathon debut at the Amsterdam Marathon.

About Almaz Ayana

Almaz Ayana was born in Wenbera, Benishangul-Gumuz Region, Ethiopia. She is the seventh of nine children in her family. She started running at her local school when she was about 13 or 14 years old.

Like other famous Ethiopian runners, Almaz is from the Oromo people. She speaks both her native Oromo language and Amharic. Her name, Almaz, means 'diamond' in Amharic. Almaz is married to her childhood friend, Soressa Fida, and she is a Christian.

Almaz's Running Journey

Early Success: 2013-2014

When Almaz was 21, she won her first big international medal. It was a bronze in the 5000 metres at the 2013 World Championships in Athletics in Moscow, Russia.

In 2014, she competed at the 2014 African Championships in Athletics in Marrakech. She won the 5000 metres race, setting a new championship record. A month later, she also won the 5000 metres at the 2014 IAAF Continental Cup, finishing far ahead of other runners.

Becoming a World Champion: 2015

Almaz won her first world title in the 5000 m at the 2015 World Championships in Athletics in Beijing.

In May 2015, Almaz ran her fastest 5000 metres race yet in Shanghai, China. Her time of 14:14.32 made her the third fastest woman ever at that distance. Only her fellow Ethiopians, Tirunesh Dibaba and Meseret Defar, had run faster.

At the World Championships in Beijing in August, Almaz showed incredible strength. She led the 5000 metres final from the start and won with a new championship record. She finished more than 17 seconds ahead of the silver medalist. Her win was even called the "Performance of the Championships."

Olympic Glory and World Record: 2016

Almaz started her 2016 season strong, winning a 3000 metres race in May. In June, she set a new personal best in the 5000 metres in Rome, making her the second fastest woman ever at that distance. Later that month, she ran her first competitive 10,000 metres race. She set the fastest debut time ever for the event.

Almaz (in second) on her way to 10,000 m gold at the 2016 Rio Olympics.

The 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro were a huge moment for Almaz. She set a new world record of 29:17.45 in the 10,000 metres race. She broke a record that had stood for 23 years by a huge 14 seconds! Many runners in that race achieved their personal best times. Almaz said her amazing time was thanks to her hard training.

A month after the Olympics, Almaz tried to break the 5000 metres world record. She didn't quite make it, but she still set a new meeting record in Brussels.

Double Medals in London: 2017

Almaz celebrates her 10,000 m win at the 2017 World Championships in Athletics in London.

In August 2017, Almaz had another fantastic performance at the World Championships in London. She won the 10,000 metres race by a huge margin, finishing 46 seconds ahead of the second-place runner. This was the biggest winning difference ever in a 10,000 metres World Championship race.

Eight days later, she also won a silver medal in the 5000 metres, finishing behind Kenya's Hellen Obiri. Later that year, Almaz ran her first half marathon in New Delhi and won it.

Comeback and Marathon Success: 2018-Present

After 2017, Almaz took almost three years off from racing due to injuries and having a baby. She started competing regularly again in April 2022.

In October 2022, Almaz made her debut in the marathon at the Amsterdam Marathon. She won the race with an incredible time of 2:17:20. This was the fastest-ever women's marathon debut! She also set a new record for the fastest time run on Dutch soil and became the seventh fastest woman in marathon history at that time.

In 2023, Almaz continued her success. She won the Lisbon Half Marathon with a new course record. She also set a new personal best in the marathon, finishing second at the Valencia Marathon with a time of 2:16:20.

Awards and Recognition

• 2016 – IAAF Female World Athlete of the Year.

Achievements and Records

Almaz (second from the right) races in her 5000 m heat at the 2017 London World Championships, where she won silver in the final and gold for the 10,000 m.

Almaz Ayana has achieved many great things in her running career. Here are some of her top results and personal best times.

International Medals

Representing  Ethiopia

Year	Competition	Venue	Position	Event	Notes
2010	World Junior Championships	Moncton, Canada	5th	3000 m steeplechase	9:48.08
2013	World Championships	Moscow, Russia	3rd	5000 m	14:51.33
2014	African Championships	Marrakech, Morocco	1st	5000 m	15:32.72 CR
	Continental Cup	Marrakech, Morocco	1st	5000 m	15:33.32
2015	World Championships	Beijing, China	1st	5000 m	14:26.83 CR
2016	Olympic Games	Rio de Janeiro, Brazil	3rd	5000 m	14:33.59
			1st	10,000 m	29:17.45 OR WR
2017	World Championships	London, United Kingdom	2nd	5000 m	14:40.35
			1st	10,000 m	30:16.32

Personal Best Times

Major Wins and Titles

• Diamond League Overall 5000 m winner: 2016
  • 2015 (2 wins): Shanghai Golden Grand Prix (5000m), Zürich Weltklasse (3000m)
  • 2016 (4 wins): Qatar Athletic Super Grand Prix (3000m), Rabat Meeting (5000m), Rome Golden Gala (5000m), Brussels Memorial Van Damme (5000m)
• Ethiopian Athletics Championships
  • 5000 metres: 2014
  • 3000 metres steeplechase: 2013

See also

In Spanish: Almaz Ayana para niños