Elfenesh Alemu facts for kids

Elfenesh Alemu, born on June 10, 1975, in Lemo Arya, Ethiopia, is a famous Ethiopian long-distance runner. She is especially good at running marathons, which are very long races, usually about 42 kilometers (26 miles). Elfenesh ran for her country, Ethiopia, in the Summer Olympics in 2000 and 2004. She also competed in the World Championships in Athletics four times in a row from 1997 to 2003.

Starting Her Running Journey

Elfenesh started competing in marathons in 1993. Just one year later, she won the African Marathon Championships. In 1995, she earned a bronze medal at the All-Africa Games. She made history in 1997 by becoming the first Ethiopian woman to win the Amsterdam Marathon. She also won the Nagano Olympic Commemorative Marathon in 2000.

Big Wins and Fast Times

In 2001, Elfenesh ran her fastest marathon ever at the London Marathon. She finished fifth with an amazing time of 2 hours, 24 minutes, and 29 seconds. This was her personal best! In 2002, she came in third place at the Boston Marathon. The next year, 2003, she won the Tokyo International Women's Marathon. That same year, she married Gezahegne Abera, who was also an Olympic marathon champion from 2000. Elfenesh returned to the Boston Marathon course in both 2004 and 2005, finishing as the runner-up (second place) each time. In 2005, she set a new record at the San Blas Half Marathon in Puerto Rico, finishing in 1 hour, 12 minutes, and 57 seconds.

Running for Ethiopia: Olympics and World Championships

Elfenesh Alemu proudly represented Ethiopia in many major international competitions. She competed in the marathon at the World Championships in Athletics in 1997, 1999, 2001, and 2003. She also ran in the Olympic Games in 2000 in Sydney, Australia, and in 2004 in Athens, Greece, showing her skill on the world's biggest stage.

Her Later Races

In 2009, Elfenesh finished eleventh at the Chicago Marathon. She took a break from running in 2010. In 2011, she was part of a strong Ethiopian team at the Mumbai Marathon, where she placed third with a time of 2 hours, 29 minutes, and 4 seconds.

Her Fastest Runs

• 5000 metres - 15 minutes, 59.99 seconds (2000)
• Half marathon - 1 hour, 9 minutes, 46 seconds (2000)
• Marathon - 2 hours, 24 minutes, 29 seconds (2001)