Dejene Berhanu

Dejene Berhanu ( born December 12, 1980 in Addis Alem, † 29 August 2010) was an Ethiopian long-distance runner.

Berhanu began to running, as it has a TV recording of the Olympic victory by Haile Gebrselassie in 1997 and saw themselves tested with a run of 10 km on a road. His time of 35 minutes encouraged him to join a training group.

In 2000 he was Ethiopian youth champion in cross-country running and African runner-up in the 10,000 -meter run. He was national champion in cross country in 2001, but was sidelined most of the season due to injury. He was national champion in the 5000m and 10,000 m runner-up in 2002; He finished fifth at the Track Championships Africa over the latter route. In 2003 he won the bronze medal at the Pan-African Games.

In 2004 he contributed to an eleventh place at at the World Cross Country Championships to the fact that the Ethiopian men's team for 18 years, won gold for the first time. On the train he broke the 13 -minute mark in the 5000m and qualified for the Olympic Games in Athens, where he came to the sixth place. Making its debut on the half marathon distance, he won the Great North Run with the course record of 59:37 minutes. Because of the slope of the track that time comes, however, not for records considered.

The following year he was at the World Cross Country Championships in sixth on the long and the seventh on the short haul. At the World Athletics Championships in Helsinki he finished eighth in the 5000m.

He then moved to the marathon distance. In his debut, he was to say the Fukuoka Marathon fourth in 2:11:48 Also in fourth, he improved the following year at the Rotterdam Marathon in 2:08:46 h, and the Chicago Marathon, he finished ninth. In a marathon, the World Athletics Championships 2007 in Osaka, he came on the 31st place.

At the age of 29 years Berhanu committed suicide for unknown reasons. He left behind his wife and three year old daughter.

Personal Best

  • 3000 m: 8:06,56 min, 30 June 2002 Sheffield
  • 5000 m: 12:54,15 min, 2, July 2004, Rome
  • 10,000 m: 27:12,22 min, May 29, 2005 Palo Alto
  • Marathon: 2:08:46 h, April 9, 2006, Rotterdam
Addis Alem, Shewa August 29 Long-distance running Cross country running 5000 metres 2005 World Championships in Athletics Fukuoka-Marathon Rotterdam-Marathon Chicago-Marathon 2007 World Championships in Athletics 3000 metres Palo Alto, California
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