Yomif Kejelcha facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Yomif Kejelcha

Yomif in 2023
Personal information
Full name	Yomif Kejelcha Atomsa
Born	(1997-08-01) 1 August 1997 (age 28) Showa, Oromia, Ethiopia
Agent	Mónica Pont
Height	1.85 m
Weight	58 kg
Sport
Country	Ethiopia
Sport	Athletics
Event(s)	Long-distance running
Club	Oromia Construction & Engineering Corporation Athletics Club
Team	Adidas
Coached by	Tim Rowberry (Nike Oregon Project) Nigatu Worku Gemedu Dedefo (present)
Achievements and titles
Personal best(s)	Outdoors 1500 m: 3:32.59 (Zagreb 2018) Mile: 3:58.24 (Stanford 2019) 3000 m: 7:23.64 (Eugene 2023) 5000 m: 12:38.95 (Oslo 2024) 10,000 m: 26:31.01 (Nerja 2024) Indoors 1000 m: 2:18.34i (Seattle 2019) 1500 m: 3:31.25i+ (Boston 2019) Mile: 3:47.01i (Boston 2019) 2000 m: 4:57.74i WU20B (Metz 2014) 3000 m: 7:38.67i (Karlsruhe 2018) Road 5 km: 12:50 (Lille 2023) 10 km: 26:37 (Laredo 2024) Half Marathon: 57:30 NR (Valencia 2024) Marathon: 1:59:41 (London 2026)
Medal record Men's athletics Representing  Ethiopia World Championships Silver 2019 Doha 10,000 m Silver 2025 Tokyo 10,000 m World Indoor Championships Gold 2016 Portland 3000 m Gold 2018 Birmingham 3000 m World Road Running Championships Silver 2023 Riga 5K Diamond League 2015 5000 m World Marathon Majors Silver 2026 London Marathon World Junior Championships Gold 2014 Eugene 5000 m African Junior Championships Gold 2015 Addis Ababa 5000 m Youth Olympic Games Gold 2014 Nanjing 3000 m World Youth Championships Gold 2013 Donetsk 3000 m African Youth Games Gold 2014 Gaborone 3000 m

Yomif Kejelcha Atomsa, born on August 1, 1997, is a super-fast long-distance runner from Ethiopia. He is famous for his incredible speed and endurance in races. Yomif once held the world record for the half marathon, finishing in an amazing 57 minutes and 30 seconds in 2024. He also held the world record for the indoor mile run. In 2026, he became only the second person ever to run a Marathon in under two hours during a race, with a time of 1 hour, 59 minutes, and 41 seconds!

Yomif has won many important medals. He earned a silver medal in the 10,000 metres at the 2019 World Athletics Championships. He also won gold medals for the 3000 metres at the 2016 and 2018 World Indoor Championships. When he was younger, he was a champion at the 2013 World Youth Championships (3000m) and the 2014 World Junior Championships (5000m).

Yomif Kejelcha's Early Life

Yomif was born on August 1, 1997, in a place called Showa, in the Oromia region of Ethiopia. His parents are Kejelcha Atoma and Biritu Negese. He is one of nine children in his family.

Yomif discovered his love for running thanks to his friend, Abebe Dribsa. He was so passionate about running that he decided to leave high school in the ninth grade to focus on his training. This was a big decision, but with his mother's encouragement, he found a way to pursue his dream. He later joined the Burayu Kenema Club and moved closer to Addis Ababa to train even harder.

Yomif's Amazing Running Career

Starting Strong in 2013

Yomif first competed internationally at the 2013 World Youth Championships in Donetsk, Ukraine. He won a gold medal in the boys' 3000 metres race, showing everyone his talent.

Golden Years: 2014

In 2014, Yomif continued to shine. He came in second place over 3000m in Ostrava, beating many famous runners. Later that year, he won the 5000 metres at the World Junior Championships held in Eugene, United States. He also grabbed another gold medal in the 3000m at the Youth Olympic Games in Nanjing, China. By the end of 2014, he was the top young runner in the world for both 3000m and 5000m distances!

Diamond League Success: 2015

Yomif started his 2015 season by winning the 5000m at the African Junior Championships in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. He then made his debut in the prestigious IAAF Diamond League. He quickly achieved his first Diamond League victory in Rome, winning the 5000m race in a world-leading time. He even set a new personal best in Brussels later that year.

World Indoor Champion: 2016

In 2016, Yomif became a world champion! He won the gold medal in the 3000 meters at the World Indoor Championships in Portland, United States. He also set a new world record for runners under 20 years old in the 3000m at a Diamond League event in Paris.

Breaking Records: 2018

Yomif continued to improve in 2018. He won a 3000m race in Sweden with a very fast time. He also achieved his personal best in the 5000m at the Diamond League final in Brussels, becoming one of the fastest runners ever in that event.

Mile Record and World Silver: 2019

The year 2019 was special for Yomif. In February, he almost broke the world indoor mile record at the Millrose Games, setting a new Ethiopian national record. Then, in March, he officially broke the world indoor mile record with an incredible time of 3 minutes and 47.01 seconds! This record was later broken in 2025.

Later in 2019, Yomif won a silver medal for the 10,000 metres at the 2019 World Athletics Championships held in Doha, Qatar. He also competed in the delayed 2020 Tokyo Olympics in 2021 and the 2022 World Athletics Championships. From 2018 to 2019, Yomif trained with the Nike Oregon Project, alongside other top athletes.

Fast Times in 2023

In 2023, Yomif showed amazing speed in road races. He ran a 5-kilometer race in Lille, France, missing the world record by just one second! At the Golden Gala meeting in Florence, Italy, he finished a very close second in the 5000 meters. Later, in Oslo, he won the 5000 meters with one of the fastest times in history, making him the fifth-fastest runner ever at that distance.

At the end of the 2023 outdoor season, Yomif competed in the 3000 meters at the Diamond League Final in Eugene, United States. He finished second, losing by only a tiny fraction of a second. His time was the fourth fastest in men's 3000m history at that point.

New World Records and Olympic Race: 2024

In May 2024, Yomif ran the 5000 metres at the Oslo Diamond League. He finished second, becoming the fourth-fastest 5000-meter runner in history with a time of 12:38.95. He also competed in the 2024 Olympic 10,000m race, finishing sixth.

A huge moment came on October 27, 2024, at the Valencia Half Marathon. Yomif set a new world record for the half marathon, finishing in an incredible 57 minutes and 30 seconds! He broke the previous record by one second. (This record was later broken by Jacob Kiplimo in 2025).

Marathon History: 2026

On April 26, 2026, Yomif ran his very first marathon in the 2026 London Marathon. He made history by finishing in 1 hour, 59 minutes, and 41 seconds! This was the second-fastest marathon time ever recorded and only the second time a marathon was run under two hours in a race. He finished second in the race, behind Sabastian Sawe. All three top runners in that race finished faster than the previous world record!

Yomif's Life Outside Running

Yomif married Yadu Birhanu Biru in 2022. He is a big fan of the English football team, Chelsea.

Yomif looks up to his fellow Ethiopian runner, Kenenisa Bekele, who is an Olympic medalist. Yomif trains very hard every day, running between 120 and 140 kilometers each week! He often trains with other talented runners like Telahun Haile Bekele, Hagos Gebrhiwet, and Birhanu Balew.

Yomif's Achievements

Yomif competing at the 2019 Millrose Games.

All information from World Athletics profile.

International Medals

Representing  Ethiopia

Year	Competition	Venue	Position	Event	Time
2013	World Youth Championships	Donetsk, Ukraine	1st	3000 m	7:53.56
2014	African Youth Games	Gaborone, Botswana	1st	3000 m	7:56.51
	World Junior Championships	Eugene, United States	1st	5000 m	13:25.19
	Youth Olympic Games	Nanjing, China	1st	3000 m	7:56.20
2015	African Junior Championships	Addis Ababa, Ethiopia	1st	5000 m	14:31.03
	World Championships	Beijing, China	4th	5000 m	13:52.43
2016	World Indoor Championships	Portland, United States	1st	3000 m	7:57.21
2017	World Championships	London, United Kingdom	4th	5000 m	13:33.51
2018	World Indoor Championships	Birmingham, United Kingdom	1st	3000 m	8:14.41
2019	World Championships	Doha, Qatar	2nd	10,000 m	26:49.34
2021	Olympic Games	Tokyo, Japan	8th	10,000 m	27:52.03
2022	World Championships	Eugene, United States	8th	5000 m	13:12.09
2023	World Championships	Budapest, Hungary	5th	5000 m	13:12.51
2024	Olympic Games	Paris, France	5th	10,000 m	26:44.02
2025	World Championships	Tokyo, Japan	2nd	10,000 m	28:55.83

Personal Best Times

• All statistics from World Athletics Profile unless otherwise noted with a citation.

Diamond League Victories

Yomif has also won many races in the prestigious Diamond League series:

• 2015: Won the overall 5000m Diamond Race Title. He won 5000m races in Eugene, Rome (world-leading time), and Brussels (world-leading time).
• 2016: Won a 3000m race at the Paris Meeting, setting a world record for under-20 athletes.
• 2018: Won a 3000m race at the Rabat Meeting (world-leading time and meeting record).
• 2019: Won 5000m races at the Shanghai Diamond League (world-leading time) and Lausanne Athletissima.
• 2021: Won a 3000m race at the Oslo Bislett Games (personal best, world-leading time, and Diamond League record).
• 2023: Won 5000m races in Oslo (world-leading time, meeting record, and personal best) and Zürich.