Derartu Tulu facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
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Derartu Tulu

Derartu in 2019
Personal information
Native name	Daraartuu Tulluu ደራርቱ ቱሉ
Born	(1972-03-21) 21 March 1972 (age 53) Bekoji, Arsi Province, Ethiopian Empire (now Oromia Region, Ethiopia)
Years active	1990–2011
Height	1.56 metres (5 ft 1 in)
Weight	44 kilograms (97 lb)
Sport
Country	Ethiopia
Sport	Athletics
Event(s)	10,000 metres
Achievements and titles
Personal best(s)	3000 metres: 8:46.32 (Portland, 2000) 5000 metres: 14:44.22 (Brussels, 2003) 10,000 metres: 30:17.49 (Sydney, 2000) Road 5 km: 15:08 (London, 2004) 10 km: 31:40 (Milan, 2000) Half marathon: 1:08:26 (Remich, 1995) (also 1:07:03 not legal) Marathon: 2:23:30 (Helsinki, 2005)
Medal record Women's athletics Representing  Ethiopia Olympic Games Gold 1992 Barcelona 10,000 m Gold 2000 Sydney 10,000 m Bronze 2004 Athens 10,000 m World Championships Gold 2001 Edmonton 10,000 m Silver 1995 Gothenburg 10,000 m World Cross Country Championships Gold 1995 Durham Senior race Gold 1997 Turin Senior race Gold 2000 Vilamoura Senior race

Derartu Tulu is a famous long-distance runner from Ethiopia. She was born on March 21, 1972. Derartu competed in many types of running, including track races, cross country, and marathons.

She made history as the first Ethiopian woman and the first black African woman to win an Olympic gold medal. She won gold in the 10,000 metres race at the 1992 Barcelona and 2000 Sydney Olympics. She also earned a bronze medal in the same event at the 2004 Athens Olympics.

Derartu also won a silver medal at the World Championships in 1995 and a gold medal in 2001, both in the 10,000-meter race. She was also a three-time champion at the IAAF World Cross Country Championships in 1995, 1997, and 2000.

Since 2018, Derartu has been the President of the Ethiopian Athletics Federation. She comes from a family of talented runners, including her cousins Tirunesh Dibaba, Genzebe Dibaba, and Ejegayehu Dibaba, who are also Olympic medalists.

Derartu's Early Life and Running Career

Derartu Tulu grew up in a village called Bekoji in the highlands of Arsi Province, Ethiopia. This is the same village where famous runner Kenenisa Bekele also grew up. Derartu is the aunt of three well-known runners: Ejegayehu Dibaba, Tirunesh Dibaba, and Genzebe Dibaba.

Making History at the Olympics

Derartu became the first Ethiopian woman and the first black African woman to win an Olympic gold medal. She achieved this in the 10,000 metres race at the 1992 Barcelona Olympic Games. In that race, she and Elana Meyer from South Africa ran far ahead of everyone else, which really started Derartu's amazing career.

After her big win, Derartu had to take a break in 1993 and 1994 because of a knee injury. She returned to racing in 1995 at the IAAF World Cross Country Championships. Even though she was stuck at an airport for 24 hours and arrived only an hour before the race, she still won the gold medal! Later that year, she won a silver medal in the 10,000 meters at the World Championships.

Challenges and Triumphs

The year 1996 was tough for Derartu. At the IAAF World Cross Country Championships, she lost her shoe during the race but still managed to finish in fourth place. She also finished fourth at the Olympic Games that year because she was dealing with an injury.

In 1997, she won the world cross country title for the second time. In 1998, she had a daughter named Tsion. She came back to running in 2000 in incredible shape. She won the 10,000 meters Olympic gold for the second time, becoming the only woman to do so in that event's history. She also won her third IAAF World Cross Country Championships title. In 2001, she finally won her first 10,000-meter world track title in Edmonton. This was her third major gold medal from world or Olympic events. Overall, she has five world and Olympic medals.

Marathon Success

Derartu also became very successful in marathon races. She won the London and Tokyo Marathons in 2001. In 2005, she set her personal best time of 2:23:30 in the marathon at the World Championships. She also won the Portugal Half Marathon twice (2000 and 2003) and the Lisbon Half Marathon in 2003.

In 2009, when she was 37 years old, she won the New York City Marathon. She beat many strong runners, including Paula Radcliffe. In 2004, Derartu chose to focus on the Olympic Games instead of the New York Marathon. At those Olympics, she won a bronze medal in the 10,000 meters.

Derartu continued to run professionally even in her late thirties, long after many of her competitors had retired. Her last marathon race was in 2011 in Yokohama. She is remembered for her incredible speed, especially her very fast last lap in the 10,000 meters at the 2000 Sydney Olympics.

Family Connections

Derartu Tulu is related to the famous Dibaba sisters. Her cousins are Ejegayehu Dibaba, Tirunesh Dibaba, and Genzebe Dibaba, who are all successful runners themselves.

Awards and Recognition

Derartu Tulu was recognized by the BBC in 2017 as one of their 100 Women. She also received the Order of the Rising Sun, Gold Rays with Rosette, from Japan in 2023.

See also

In Spanish: Derartu Tulu para niños