Ayele Seteng facts for kids
Ayele Seteng, born on April 11, 1955, is a famous long-distance runner. He was born in Ethiopia and later moved to Israel. He is known for running marathons, which are very long races.
About Ayele Seteng
Ayele Seteng grew up in Ethiopia. He belongs to the Beta Israel community. In 1991, he moved to Israel. You might also hear his name as Haile Satayin. This is because his name was written differently when translated from one language to another, a process called transliteration. He is about 1.69 m (5 ft 6+1⁄2 in) tall and weighs around 54 kilograms (119 lb).
Running Career Highlights
Ayele Seteng first won many national running titles in Israel. In the mid-1990s, he ran his fastest times on the track. He ran 5000 metres in 14 minutes and 0.49 seconds in 1996. He also ran 10,000 metres in 29 minutes and 4.08 seconds in 1995. Later, he started focusing more on road running and cross-country running.
He competed in several big international races. He ran in the World Cross Country Championships in 1997, 1999, and 2000. He also ran marathons at the European Championships in 2002 and 2006.
Ayele Seteng also represented Israel in the Olympic Games. He ran in the marathon at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens. He was 49 years old then, making him the oldest track and field athlete at those Olympics. He also competed at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing. At 53 years old, he was the oldest athlete competing in any sport at the 2008 Olympics! He once said, "My age is old, but my heart is young."
His fastest times in road races are also impressive. He ran a half marathon in 1 hour, 3 minutes, and 43 seconds in 1997. He completed a full marathon in 2 hours, 14 minutes, and 21 seconds in 2003 at the Venice Marathon. Both of these are Israeli records.
A documentary film called "Running Movie" was made about him in 2011. It followed Ayele Seteng as he tried to qualify for the 2012 Summer Olympics in London.
See also
- List of Israeli records in athletics
