Ejegayehu Dibaba facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Ejegayehu Dibaba

Personal information
Native name	Ijigaayoo Dibaabaa
Birth name	እጅጋዬሁ ዲባባ
Born	(1982-03-21) 21 March 1982 (age 43) Bekoji, Arsi Province, Ethiopia
Sport
Country	Ethiopia
Sport	Athletics
Event(s)	Long-distance running
Medal record Women's athletics Representing  Ethiopia Olympic Games Silver 2004 Athens 10,000 m World Championships Bronze 2005 Helsinki 5000 m Bronze 2005 Helsinki 10,000 m Afro-Asian Games Gold 2003 Hyderabad 10,000 m All-Africa Games Gold 2003 Abuja 10,000 m African Championships Silver 2008 Addis Ababa 10,000 m Bronze 2002 Radès 5000 m World Cross Country Championships Silver 2004 Brussels Senior race

Ejegayehu Dibaba Keneni is a famous long-distance runner from Ethiopia. She was born on March 21, 1982. Ejegayehu is best known for winning a silver medal in the 10,000 metres race at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens.

She also earned two bronze medals at the 2005 World Championships in Athletics for both the 5,000 metres and 10,000 metres events. Ejegayehu has won gold medals too, including at the 2003 Afro-Asian Games and All-Africa Games. She comes from an amazing family of runners, with her sisters Tirunesh and Genzebe, and her cousin Derartu Tulu, all being Olympic medalists!

Early Life

Ejegayehu Dibaba was born in a place called Chefe, in Ethiopia. She grew up in the high-altitude Arsi Zone of the Oromia Region. She is the third of six children in her family.

Running Career

Ejegayehu is a talented long-distance runner. Her younger sisters, Tirunesh and Genzebe Dibaba, are also well-known international athletes. Even her cousin, Derartu Tulu, has won two Olympic gold medals! Running seems to be a family talent.

At the 2004 Summer Olympics, Ejegayehu won a silver medal in the 10,000 metres race. She even finished ahead of her cousin, Derartu Tulu, in that race. At the IAAF World Championships in Athletics, she won two bronze medals. Her sister Tirunesh won the gold in the final sprint of those races.

In September 2010, Ejegayehu competed in a 7-kilometer race at the Memorial Peppe Greco, where she finished in second place.

Ejegayehu tried running a marathon for the first time at the 2011 Chicago Marathon. She did incredibly well, finishing in 2 hours, 22 minutes, and 9 seconds. This was the third fastest debut time ever for a marathon runner! Ejegayehu is 1.60 meters (about 5 feet 3 inches) tall and weighs 46 kilograms (about 101 pounds).

International Competitions

Ejegayehu has competed in many important races around the world. Here's a look at some of her results:

Representing  Ethiopia

Year	Competition	Venue	Position	Event	Result
2002	African Championships	Radès, Tunisia	3rd	5000 m	15:56.02
2003	World Cross Country Championships	Lausanne, Switzerland	9th	Short race	12:59
			2nd	Team competition	24 pts
	World Championships	Paris, France	9th	10,000 m	31:01.07
	All-Africa Games	Abuja, Nigeria	1st	10,000 m	32:34.54
	Afro-Asian Games	Hyderabad, India	1st	10,000 m	33:01.12
2004	World Cross Country Championships	Lausanne, Switzerland	10th	Short race	13:23
			1st	Team competition	19 pts
			2nd	Long race	27:29
			1st	Team competition	26 pts
	Olympic Games	Athens, Greece	2nd	10,000 m	30:24.98
	World Athletics Final	Monte Carlo, Monaco	3rd	5000 m	14:59.52
2005	World Cross Country Championships	Saint-Étienne, France	14th	Short race	13:51
	World Championships	Helsinki, Finland	3rd	5000 m	14:42.47
			3rd	10,000 m	30:26.00
2006	World Cross Country Championships	Fukuoka, Japan	14th	Long race	26:37
	African Championships	Bambous, Mauritius	–	10,000 m	DNF
	World Athletics Final	Stuttgart, Germany	4th	5000 m	16:07.87
2007	World Championships	Osaka, Japan	6th	10,000 m	32:30.44
2008	African Championships	Addis Ababa, Ethiopia	2nd	10,000 m	32:50.36
	Olympic Games	Beijing, China	12th	10,000 m	31:22.18
	World Athletics Final	Stuttgart, Germany	–	5000 m	DNS

Personal Best Times

These are Ejegayehu's fastest times in different running events:

• 3000 metres - 8:35.94 (London 2006)
• 5000 metres - 14:32.74 (Bergen 2004)
• 10,000 metres - 30:18.39 (Sollentuna 2005)
• Half marathon - 1:16:40 (Tequila 2001)
• Marathon - 2:22:09 (Chicago, IL 2011)

See also

In Spanish: Ejegayehu Dibaba para niños