Fatuma Roba facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Fatuma Roba

Personal information
Born	(1973-12-18) December 18, 1973 (age 51) Bekoji, Ethiopia
Medal record Women's Athletics Representing  Ethiopia Olympic Games Gold 1996 Atlanta Marathon

Fatuma Roba is a famous long-distance runner from Ethiopia. She was born on December 18, 1973. Fatuma is best known for making history at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta. She was the first African woman to win a gold medal in the Olympic marathon race. She also won the Boston Marathon three times in a row!

Early Life and Training

Fatuma Roba grew up in a town called Bekoji, Ethiopia. When she was young, there were no female runners in Ethiopia for her to look up to. The only famous long-distance runner was Abebe Bikila.

Even though running was not encouraged for girls at her school, Fatuma decided to keep running. She trained with a coach named Sentayehu Eshetu. He had also coached other great athletes, like Derartu Tulu.

Starting Her Running Career

Fatuma joined her first national team in 1988. She competed in the half marathon race. That year, she finished in the top ten at the world championships. By 1992, she had improved even more, finishing sixth.

After doing well in a shorter race called the New York Mini Marathon, Fatuma decided to try a full marathon. In 1994, she ran in the Paris Marathon. She finished 19th. It was a very tough race for her. She later said, "Never again! This distance is too long!"

Overcoming Challenges

Fatuma decided not to run marathons for a year. But then, just 25 days before the 1995 World Championships in Athletics, she was asked to compete. Ethiopia needed someone to represent them.

She ran well for the first 25 kilometers (about 15.5 miles). But then she felt dizzy and fell down several times. She still finished the race, coming in 19th place. Her performance was so tough that she had to go to the hospital afterward.

Olympic Gold and Boston Wins

Even after those difficult races, Fatuma decided to keep training for marathons. She won her first marathon in Marrakech in early 1996. Two months later, she won the Rome Marathon. She improved her personal best time by a whole minute between these two wins.

Making History at the Olympics

After her victory in Rome, Fatuma was chosen to join the Ethiopian team for the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, United States. She trained even harder for this big event.

During the Olympic marathon, Fatuma felt strong. She later said that by the 18-kilometer (about 11-mile) mark, she knew she would win. Her competitors were getting tired, but she felt comfortable. With her amazing victory, Fatuma became the first woman from an African country to win the Olympic marathon gold medal!

Dominating the Boston Marathon

Fatuma Roba also became famous for winning the Boston Marathon three times in a row. She won in 1997, 1998, and 1999. In 2000, she almost won a fourth time, finishing third in a very close race.

She once said that the Olympic Marathon was the greatest race for her. But she added that the Boston Marathon was the second greatest.

Fatuma Roba's Best Times

Here are some of Fatuma Roba's fastest times in different races:

• 10,000 meters: 32 minutes, 25 seconds (in 2000)
• Half-marathon: 1 hour, 9 minutes, 1 second (in 2001)
• Marathon: 2 hours, 23 minutes, 21 seconds (in 1998)

Major Achievements

Year	Competition	Venue	Position	Event	Notes
Representing  Ethiopia
1990	World Junior Championships	Plovdiv, Bulgaria	16th (h)	3000m	9:26.63
1992	World Half Marathon Championships	Newcastle, United Kingdom	6th	Half marathon	1:10:28
1995	World Championships	Gothenburg, Sweden	19th	Marathon	2:39:27
1996	Rome City Marathon	Rome, Italy	1st	Marathon	2:29:05
	Olympic Games	Atlanta, United States	1st	Marathon	2:26:05
1997	Boston Marathon	Boston, United States	1st	Marathon	2:26:23
	World Championships	Athens, Greece	—	Marathon	DNF
1998	Boston Marathon	Boston, United States	1st	Marathon	2:23:21
1999	Boston Marathon	Boston, United States	1st	Marathon	2:23:25
	World Championships	Seville, Spain	4th	Marathon	2:28:04
2000	Boston Marathon	Boston, United States	3rd	Marathon	2:26:27
	Olympic Games	Sydney, Australia	9th	Marathon	2:27:38
2001	World Championships	Edmonton, Canada	13th	Marathon	2:31:10
2004	Nagano Marathon	Nagano, Japan	1st	Marathon	2:28:05

See also

In Spanish: Fatuma Roba para niños