Kenenisa Bekele facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Kenenisa Bekele

Kenenisa in 2012
Personal information
Full name	Kenenisa Bekele Beyecha
Nationality	Ethiopian
Born	(1982-06-13) 13 June 1982 (age 43) near Bekoji, Arsi Province, Socialist Ethiopia
Height	165 cm
Weight	56 kg
Sport
Country	Ethiopia
Sport	Track, Long-distance running
Event(s)	5000 metres, 10,000 metres, Marathon
Team	Anta Sports NN Running Team (past)
Achievements and titles
Personal best(s)	5000 m: 12:37.35 (Hengelo 2004) 10,000 m: 26:17.53 NR (Brussels 2005) Marathon: 2:01:41 NR (Berlin 2019) Marathon: 2:04:15 MWR (London 2024) Indoors 2000 m: 4:49.99i WB (Birmingham 2007) 2 Miles: 8:04.35i AB (Birmingham 2008) 5000 m: 12:49.60i WR (Birmingham 2004)
Medal record Men's athletics Representing  Ethiopia Event 1st 2nd 3rd Olympic Games 3 1 0 World Championships 5 0 1 World Indoor Championships 1 0 0 African Championships 2 0 0 All-African Games 2 0 0 World Cross Country Championships 11 1 0 World Marathon Majors 2 2 2 Total 26 4 2 Olympic Games Gold 2004 Athens 10,000 m Gold 2008 Beijing 5000 m Gold 2008 Beijing 10,000 m Silver 2004 Athens 5000 m World Championships Gold 2003 Paris 10,000 m Gold 2005 Helsinki 10,000 m Gold 2007 Osaka 10,000 m Gold 2009 Berlin 5000 m Gold 2009 Berlin 10,000 m Bronze 2003 Paris 5000 m World Indoor Championships Gold 2006 Moscow 3000 m African Championships Gold 2006 Bambous 5000 m Gold 2008 Addis Ababa 5000 m All-Africa Games Gold 2003 Abuja 5000 m World Cross Country Championships Gold 2002 Dublin Long race Gold 2002 Dublin Short race Gold 2003 Lausanne Long race Gold 2003 Lausanne Short race Gold 2004 Brussels Long race Gold 2004 Brussels Short race Gold 2005 Saint-Galmier Long race Gold 2005 Saint-Galmier Short race Gold 2006 Fukuoka Long race Gold 2006 Fukuoka Short race Gold 2008 Edinburgh Long race Silver 2001 Ostend Short race World Marathon Majors Gold 2016 Berlin Marathon Gold 2019 Berlin Marathon Silver 2017 London Marathon Silver 2024 London Marathon Bronze 2016 London Marathon Bronze 2021 Berlin Marathon

Kenenisa Bekele Beyecha (born 13 June 1982) is a famous long-distance runner from Ethiopia. He used to hold the world records for both the 5,000-meter and 10,000-meter races. He won gold medals in both these events at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. At the 2004 Olympics, he won a gold medal in the 10,000 m and a silver medal in the 5,000 m.

Kenenisa is known as one of the most successful runners ever in cross country racing. He has won many titles there. He also won the 10,000 m race at the World Championships in Athletics four times in a row, from 2003 to 2009. He was unbeatable in the 10,000 m from 2003 until 2011.

In 2009, he made history by winning both the 5000 m and 10,000 m titles at the same World Championships. He has also won other important medals, including an Olympic silver, a World Championship bronze, and several African titles. Many people consider him the greatest long-distance runner of all time because of his amazing achievements in cross country, track, and marathon races.

Early Life and Starting Running

Kenenisa Bekele was born in 1982 in Bekoji, a town in the Oromia Region of Ethiopia. This town is famous for producing many great long-distance runners. Some of these include the Dibaba sisters and their cousin Derartu Tulu.

Kenenisa was the second of six children. His parents were barley farmers. At first, he wanted to work in medicine or education. However, a physical education teacher encouraged him to try running. He was also inspired by the success of other Ethiopian runners like Derartu Tulu and Haile Gebrselassie.

Kenenisa started winning medals early in his career. He took second place in the 3000 meters at the 1999 World Youth Championships. He also got second in the 5000 meters at the 2000 World Junior Championships. His first gold medal came in 2001 at the World Cross Country Championships for junior runners. His success in running helped him buy a house and support his siblings' education.

Kenenisa's Running Career Highlights

Early Success: 2001 to 2003

In August 2001, Kenenisa set a 3000 metres world junior record in Brussels. He ran the race in 7:30.67 minutes. He also won the Montferland Run, a 15k road race in the Netherlands, in both 2000 and 2001.

From 2002 to 2006, Kenenisa dominated the IAAF World Cross Country Championships. He won both the short (4 km) and long (12 km) races for five years in a row. No other runner has ever done this even once. After 2007, the short course race was removed. Kenenisa won one more long course race in 2008. This brought his total to 11 individual gold medals in cross country.

Kenenisa became famous for his amazing ability to speed up at the end of a long race. In 2003, he quickly caught up to and beat Kenyan runner Abraham Chebii in Oslo. He also competed against fellow Ethiopian legend Haile Gebrselassie several times. Kenenisa usually won these races on the track.

Breaking Records in 2004

The year 2004 was incredible for Kenenisa. He broke world records for the indoor 5000 m, outdoor 5000 m, and outdoor 10,000 m. He set two of these records within just nine days!

He also won both the short and long course titles at the World Cross Country Championships. This helped Ethiopia win the team title. At the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, he won a gold medal in the 10,000 meters. He also earned a silver medal in the 5000 meters.

Overcoming Challenges in 2005

In early 2005, Kenenisa faced a personal challenge when his fiancée, Alem Techale, passed away. She was also a talented runner.

Despite this, Kenenisa returned to racing. In March, he successfully defended his cross country titles at the 2005 IAAF World Cross Country Championships. He won both the short and long course races.

On 8 August 2005, Kenenisa won the gold medal in the 10,000 m at the World Championships in Helsinki. He used his famous fast finish to win. Later that month, on 26 August 2005, he broke his own 10,000 m world record in Brussels. He ran it in an amazing 26:17.53. At the end of 2005, he was named the Track & Field News magazine athlete of the year for the second year in a row.

Kenenisa competing in the 2006 Golden League.

Continued Dominance: 2006 to 2007

In 2006, Kenenisa won the 3000 m at the 2006 IAAF World Indoor Championships in Moscow. This made him the first athlete ever to hold Olympic, world outdoor, world indoor, and world cross country titles all at once. He also won five out of six IAAF Golden League events in the 5000 m that year.

On 17 February 2007, he set a new indoor world record for the 2000 m in Birmingham. His time was 4:49.99. However, his amazing streak of 27 straight cross country victories ended in March 2007. He had to drop out of the 2007 IAAF World Cross Country Championships in Mombasa due to very hot and humid conditions.

Despite this, he recovered to win the 10,000-meter title at the 2007 IAAF World Championships in Osaka. He once again beat his countryman Sileshi Sihine in a thrilling finish.

Kenenisa leading the way at the 2007 Cross de Itálica.

Beijing Olympic Glory in 2008

On 30 March 2008, Kenenisa won his sixth World Cross Country title (12k long course) in Edinburgh. This made him the most decorated athlete in IAAF World Cross Country Championships history. He has a total of 16 gold medals in cross country, including individual and team events.

At the Beijing Olympics on 17 August 2008, Kenenisa won gold in the 10,000m. He set a new Olympic Record with a time of 27:01.17. He used his famous strong finish, running the last 400 meters in just 53.42 seconds.

Six days later, on 23 August 2008, Kenenisa won the 5000-meter final. He broke Saïd Aouita's Olympic Record by almost eight seconds, finishing in 12:57.82. He led most of the race himself and then sped up incredibly fast at the end. By winning both the 10,000m and 5000m in Beijing, Kenenisa joined a very small group of athletes who have achieved this "double" victory.

Celebrating his gold medal victory at the 2009 World Championships.

World Championship Double in 2009

Kenenisa Bekele continued his winning streak at the 2009 World Championships in Athletics in Berlin. He won two more gold medals, taking both the 5000m (13:17.09) and 10,000m (26:46.31) titles. This was the first time a man had won both long-distance track gold medals at the same World Championships.

His amazing combination of endurance and speed made him almost impossible to beat when he was at his best. During the 10,000m race, an announcer even said, "it is over, in fact it was over from the start" as Kenenisa began his final sprint. Many experts called him "probably the greatest distance runner we will ever see."

Despite his huge success, Kenenisa was not as famous as some other athletes. He was a quiet person and did not seek out many interviews.

Injuries and Return: 2010 to 2012

Kenenisa had a tough start to 2010. He finished fourth in a cross country race he was expected to win. He then missed the rest of the indoor and outdoor seasons because of a calf muscle injury.

He finally returned to training in March 2011 after a knee injury. He competed at the World Championships but had to drop out of the 10,000m race. However, he later showed his strength by setting the fastest time in the world for the 10,000 meters in 2011 at a race in Brussels.

Kenenisa's 2012 season also started slowly. However, he seemed to be back in form by winning the Great Ireland Run in April. He set a new personal best for a 10 km road race.

At the 2012 London Olympics 10,000m race, he stayed with the lead group. But he couldn't match the final sprint of Mo Farah and finished fourth. His brother, Tariku Bekele, won the bronze medal.

Kenenisa pursuing the lead pack in the Men's 10,000 metres final event at the 2012 Summer Olympics.

In 2013, he won the Great Ireland Run again. He also won the Great North Run half marathon, beating Mo Farah by just one second.

Marathon Career: A New Challenge

Kenenisa Bekele at the 2014 Paris Marathon

Starting Strong: 2014-2015

Kenenisa began his marathon career at the 2014 Paris Marathon on 6 April 2014. His first marathon was very successful. He won the race and set a new course record of 2:05:04. This time was faster than the debut marathons of other running legends.

He then competed in the 2014 Chicago Marathon in October 2014. He finished fourth. In January 2015, he had to stop during the Dubai Marathon after 30 km. He also had to pull out of the 2015 London Marathon due to an injury to his right Achilles tendon.

London and Berlin Success: 2016-2017

After 11 months of injury, Kenenisa returned to racing at the 2016 London Marathon. He finished in third place, even though he had only trained for six weeks. He also had trouble getting his drinks at five different stations during the race.

In September 2016, Kenenisa won the 2016 Berlin Marathon with a time of 2:03:03. This was his new personal best and the second-fastest marathon time ever at that point. In January 2017, he tried to break the world record at the Dubai Marathon but had to drop out after falling early in the race. In April 2017, Kenenisa finished second in the 2017 London Marathon, just nine seconds behind the winner.

Chasing the World Record: 2018-2019

Kenenisa ran the 2018 London Marathon and finished sixth. He also started the Amsterdam Marathon but had to stop due to injury near the end.

In September 2019, Kenenisa won the 2019 Berlin Marathon again. His time was 2:01:41. This was the second-fastest marathon time ever at that point. It was only two seconds slower than the world record set by Eliud Kipchoge on the same course the year before. After the race, Kenenisa said he still believed he could break the world record.

Recent Races: 2020-2024

Kenenisa won the London half marathon in March 2020, setting a new course record. He returned to the 2021 Berlin Marathon in September, finishing third. In November, he placed sixth at the 2021 New York City Marathon.

In September 2022, he finished third at the Great North Run half marathon. The next month, Kenenisa competed in the 2022 London Marathon. He finished fifth and set a new masters world record for runners aged 40 and over. In April 2023, he withdrew from the London Marathon. In December, he finished fourth at the Valencia Marathon, setting another Masters World Record for the M40 group. He became the first athlete over 40 to run a marathon in under 2 hours and 5 minutes.

In April 2024, the 41-year-old Kenenisa competed in the 2024 London Marathon. He finished second and broke his own Masters record again. Kenenisa was chosen to represent Ethiopia in the marathon at the 2024 Summer Olympics. This was his fourth Olympic appearance. He finished in 39th place.

Personal Life

On 18 November 2007, Kenenisa married Danawit Gebregziabher, an Ethiopian film actress. They were married in Addis Ababa. Kenenisa has a younger brother named Tariku Bekele. Tariku is also a very talented world-class long-distance runner.

Statistics

Personal Bests

Kenenisa leading the 5000 m at the 2009 World Championships

Yearly Progression in Key Races

Competition Record

International Competitions

• Note: XC stands for cross country

Year	Competition	Venue	Position	Event	Result
Representing  Ethiopia
1999	World XC Championships	Belfast, United Kingdom	9th	Junior race (8.012 km)	26:27
	World Youth Championships	Bydgoszcz, Poland	2nd	3000 m	8:09.89
2000	World Junior Championships	Santiago, Chile	2nd	5000 m	13:45.43
2001	World XC Championships	Ostend, Belgium	2nd	Short race (4.1 km)	12:42
			1st	Junior race (7.7 km)	25:04
2002	World XC Championships	Dublin, Ireland	1st	Short race (4.208 km)	12:11
			1st	Long race (11.998 km)	34:52
2003	World XC Championships	Lausanne, Switzerland	1st	Short race (4.03 km)	11:01
			1st	Long race (12.355 km)	35:56
	World Championships in Athletics	Paris, France	3rd	5000 m	12:53.12
			1st	10,000 m	26:49.57
	All-Africa Games	Abuja, Nigeria	1st	5000 m	13:26.16
2004	World XC Championships	Brussels, Belgium	1st	Short race (4 km)	11:31
			1st	Long race (12 km)	35:52
	Olympic Games	Athens, Greece	2nd	5000 m	13:14.59
			1st	10,000 m	27:05.10
2005	World XC Championships	Saint-Galmier, France	1st	Short race (4.196 km)	11:33
			1st	Long race (12.02 km)	35:06
	World Championships in Athletics	Helsinki, Finland	1st	10,000 m	27:08.33
2006	World Indoor Championships	Moscow, Russia	1st	3000 m	7:39.32
	World XC Championships	Fukuoka, Japan	1st	Short race (4 km)	10:54
			1st	Long race (12 km)	35:40
	African Championships	Bambous, Mauritius	1st	5000 m	14:03.41
	IAAF World Cup	Athens, Greece	2nd	3000 m	7:36.25
2007	World XC Championships	Mombasa, Kenya	—	Senior race (12 km)	DNF
	World Championships in Athletics	Osaka, Japan	1st	10,000 m	27:05.90
2008	World XC Championships	Edinburgh, United Kingdom	1st	Senior race (12 km)	34:38
	African Championships	Addis Ababa, Ethiopia	1st	5000 m	13:49.67
	Olympic Games	Beijing, China	1st	5000 m	12:57.82
			1st	10,000 m	27:01.17
2009	World Championships in Athletics	Berlin, Germany	1st	5000 m	13:17.09
			1st	10,000 m	26:46.31
2011	World Championships in Athletics	Daegu, South Korea	—	10,000 m	DNF
2012	Olympic Games	London, United Kingdom	4th	10,000 m	27:32.44
2024	Olympic Games	Paris, France	39th	Marathon	2:12:24

Marathons

World Grand Prix Finals (World Athletics Finals)

World Marathon Majors Results Timeline

Circuit Honours

• IAAF Golden League jackpot winner: 2006, 2009
• Montferland Run 15K: 2000, 2001
• Giro al Sas 11K: 2001
• Memorial Peppe Greco 10K: 2003

Cross country wins

• Tilburg Warandeloop: 2000
• Cinque Mulini: 2002
• Lotto Cross Cup Brussels: 2002
• Oeiras International Cross Country: 2002, 2003
• Campaccio: 2002, 2004
• Cross Internacional Juan Muguerza: 2003
• Trofeo Alasport: 2003
• Cross Internacional de Itálica: 2003, 2004, 2007
• Cross Internacional de Venta de Baños: 2004
• Great Edinburgh International Cross Country: 2006, 2007, 2008

Awards

• IAAF World Athlete of the Year: 2004, 2005
• Track & Field News Athlete of the Year: 2004, 2005
• Ethiopian Person of the Year: 2007/2008
• ESPN Africa's best athlete of the 21st century

See also

In Spanish: Kenenisa Bekele para niños