They Call Her BOLD

Meseret Defar, The World's Best 5000m Runner
By Sabrina Yohannes
As featured in the June 2007 issue of Running Times Magazine

Meseret Defar was agitated. She had arrived in Boston two years after her first attempt on the world indoor 3,000m mark there, determined to finally break the record, and confident she was in shape to do so. But the day after her arrival on Wednesday, January 24, 2007, she had come down with flu-like symptoms. "My back ached, and I had to force myself to warm up and train," she said later. "At night, I couldn’t sleep. I had a fever, a headache and body aches."

On race day, January 27, she first watched as her Ethiopian compatriot, Tirunesh Dibaba, slashed her own 5,000m world indoor record. "When you see someone in your field running such a fast time, it inspires you too," said Defar. But she had been unable to ... more

Defar Breaks 5000M WR

This evening, running the 5000M at the ExxonMobil Bislett Games in Oslo, Norway, the great Ethiopian athlete Meseret Defar set a new world record with 14:16.63, almost 8 second inside her own record... more

Our Coaches Are Not Good Enough

... so says Haile Gebrselassie. He also says that "we are in trouble." Runners from the west are catching up and passing Ethiopian and Kenyan runners who have looked invincible for the last two decades. Time is running out, says Haile ... more

Geb Headed Back to Berlin

Haile Gebrselassie has chosen Berlin Marathon as his fall marathon for 2007. I would have guessed he would try the Chicago Marathon to get a fast time, but he has decided to return to Berlin where he won the race and posted the fastest time for the marathon in 2006.

Berlin Marathon is where Paul Tergat set the current marathon world record of 2:04:55 in 2003 and where the Brazilian Ronaldo da Costa broke Belayneh Dinsamo's 10 year old world record in 1998. It must be that Haile thinks his familiarity with the Berlin course, together with the course's history of producing world records, gives him the maximum chance for breaking the current record held by Tergat. Haile missed this record only by 61 seconds in 2006... more

Meseret in Oslo

The European summer track and field season will kick in full gears starting this coming Friday June 15. The first meet of the $1 Million IAAF Golden League Series will take place in Oslo, Norway on Friday at the ExxonMobil Bislett Games.

Meseret Defar will be running 5000M at this meet, which she has pointed to as one of two key preparations for the World Cahmpionships in Osaka, Japan in August. Bislett Games organizers are hoping for a 5000M world record from Meseret.

Other Ethiopians signed up for Friday's 5000M race are Sentayehu Ejigu, Ejegayehu Dibaba, Workitu Ayanu, and Mestewat Tufa. Also running in Oslo will be Mestawat Tadesse and the Ethiopian-turned-Bahraini Maryam Jamal, both entered in the 1500M. Mekdes Bekele will be contesting the 3000M steeplechase.

Haile Still Seeking Records

Haile's 26:52 in Hengelo two weeks ago has proven to him that he still got it- speed, that is. Although he finished fifth in that the race, the sub 27 minute clocking is still very impressive. So, Haile is seeking to convert this speed in to some kind of record. And he is looking where aging track runners look on their way out- rarely contested distances or events.

Haile has announced that he will be attempting to set a world record for the farthest distance run in one hour. The current record is 16 years old and was set by the Mexican Arturo Barrios, who covered 21.101km in one hour.

Does that distance look familiar? It should because it is almost exactly half of a marathon (21.097km). And we all know that Haile set a half-marathon world record of 58:55 in Jan 2006 so the one hour record should be a walk in the park for him. But not so fast, Haile.

I think I see through Haile's thinking on this one. He is trying to get two records for the price of one. The one hour record is as sure as a guarantee based on Haile's 10K time two weeks ago. But I think Haile is also hoping that during his one hour run, he will pass through the half-marathon mark quicker than Sammy Wanjiru's 58:35 and get that record back through the back door. That is two for the price of one. After all, Haile had commented that he would like to get the half-marathon record back soon. Best wishes!

Post Race on Pre

Pre Classic 2007 was a very high quality meet were several meet records and an American Record were set and year's best times established. I watched the whole meet on TV but the men's 2 mile and the women's 1500M race were of particular interest as Ethiopians were among the competitors.

The women's 1500M was won by Gelete Burka in 4:00.48, which is a new meet record for Pre. This was one gutsy race won by a very gutsy young woman (age 21!). Running a four minute 1500M is about as good as it gets in international competition, and the fact that a 5000M runner who stepped down in distance achieved this is simply astounding.

As the race started, Gelete was the only runner willing to go with the pace makers who set out on a fast pace. The rest of the field dropped back immediately by some 20 metres judging the pace to be too quick and assuming Gelete will simply run herself to the ground towards the end of the race by following such a fast pace. When the last pace maker dropped out at the 800M mark, Gelete was at the front of the race by some distance and the rest of the field started their attempt to reel her in. With 300M to go it appeared that the Russian Chizhenko (2006 World Indoor Champion at 1500M) was significantly cutting into Gelete's lead, but Gelete managed to maintain, and even expand, her lead in the last 200M to get the win and post an amazing fast time for the race. It looked as if the 1500M specialists were a bit dejected that an "outsider" walked into their race and walked away with the win.

Gelete enjoyed her victory with a slow jog giving high fives to spectators in the stadium who were reaching out to touch her. You will recall the commanding victory Gelete took two weeks ago at the 5000M race in Hengelo, Netherlands. It is not hard to imagine that Gelete could become the face of Ethiopian athletics in the near future. She is a very talented runner who looks very natural at her trade. She needs to seriously consider competing in 1500M or 3000M at the World Champs and Olympics rather than join the crowded field in the 5000M with Tirunesh, Meseret, and Meselech and miss out on her medal chances.

As for the men's 2 mile race, the late withdrawal of Kenenisa from the race had dampened the spirits a bit but the race was still well contested. The other Bekele brother in the race, the younger Tariku, appeared to be taking the race by the horn while the rest of the field (loaded with talent) were content to stay in the background. It appeared that they went by the first mile in a fast 4:03. By the time the pace makers dropped out of the race, Tariku was at the front pushing hard but the tall Australian Craig Motram was doggedly following Tariku only a step behind. The pace was upped at the bell lap and with 250M to go, Motram got a jump on Tariku and opened a gap quickly. Tariku gave good chase but did not have enough in the tank to overtake Motram who won the race in 8:03.50 establishing a meet record. Tariku was one second behind in 8:04.83 for a very solid second place finish.

Running a 4:03 and 4:01 mile back to back is an amazing stuff. Tariku did his 2 miles race nine seconds faster than Kenenisa did two weeks ago in Hengelo. Also, Tariku's 13:04.05 at the Reebok Grand Prix in New York last weekend was the fastest 5000M run on American soil. Once again, Tariku has shown he is a highly talented runner in his own right and will be a medal contender in Osaka this summer and Beijing next year.

One final note: Zeresenay Tadesse, the 2007 World Cross Country Champ from Eritrea who dethroned Kenenisa in Mombasa, finished the 2 mile race in 7th place in a time of 8:19.34.

Kenenisa Scratched from Pre

I watched the 2 mile race in Hengelo late in the day two weekends ago, so didn't provide a timely update at the time. The results were all over the news the following day so I didn't bother to add an entry.

Watching the race in Hengelo, two things stood out: first, the rest of the field in the race were all virtual unknowns, even for an avid roocha fan. Secondly, the winning time of 8:13.51 was very slow, some 15 seconds slower than the world record. Kenenisa just followed the pace for the slow first mile (4:11), stayed near the front for the much quicker second mile (4:02), and he still managed to produce a blistering kick that no one could match for the last two hundred meters. He finished with a huge margin of victory.

Kenenisa looked fine but one nagging question remained in my mind. What if the race had real competition? The answer was to come in two weeks time on June 10. Kenenisa's next outing was scheduled to be at the Pre Classic in Oregon, USA. Unlike the race in Hengelo, the 2 mile at Pre is stacked with deep field of strong competitors. Also, it was going to be the first head to head meeting between Kenenisa Bekele and Zeresenay Tadesse following the debacle in Mombasa.

But it was not meant to be. Kenenisa has withdrawn from tomorrow's race citing lack of fitness. Perhaps a good decision, because Hengelo did not assure anyone that Kenenisa of old has returned. We will have to wait until July 10 to see Kenenisa in action at Athletissima in Lausanne, Switzerland. In the mean time, you can read more about Kenenisa's withdrawal from Pre here and more about Kenenisa the man here.

Tamrat Ayalew

Tamrat Ayalew- a professional runner from Ethiopia, now in Colorado, seeking political asylum. He says he has a personal best of 2:12 in the marathon. He also says he was imprisoned and tortured by the Ethiopian government... watch a video clip here.

Back to the Familiar

In a few hours, Kenenisa Bekele and Haile Gebrselassie will be running in the Fanny Blankers-Koen Games (aka Thales FBK Games, named for "The Flying Housewife") in Hengelo, Netherlands. Kenenisa will be running the 2 mile race, originally billed as a world record attempt, and Haile will be doing the 10000M race. Both will be in familiar territory, but only as far as venue is concerned. It is unlikely that either one will come anywhere close to world record setting form they displayed in past years at this very same meet. In fact, I just hope that they will avoid the disaster they met in their most recent outings in Mombasa and London.

I suspect both Kenenisa and Haile have chosen to compete in Hengelo because it is a familiar place to both. Haile has set three world records in Hengelo: 5000M record in 1994, and two 10000M records in 1995 and 1998. Kenenisa broke the 5000M record in Hengelo in 2004. However, both have met some rough roads in recent competition and their performance in Hengelo will be quite telling as to how they will fare in upcoming competitions for the rest of 2007.

Recent news on Kenenisa regarding his ongoing difficulties following the disaster in Mombasa has been troubling, to say the least. Although the story is carried by Kenyan media (with vested interest in seeing Kenenisa's demise), what is reported is most shocking. Other reports state that Kenenisa suffered knee injury in Mombasa, which the Ethiopian Athletic Federation has been concerned about. Kenenisa has faced adversity in the past, including the unexpected loss of his fiancee, and he has managed to rise back to the top. I hope that Hengelo (and Pre Classic two weeks later) will put him back on the right track towards 2007 World Chamionships in Osaka and the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

As for Haile, his appearance in Hengelo is most puzzling. He had said that his days of track running have come to an end following the 2005 World Championships in Helsinki. He was at last concentrating on the Marathon which he said was his ultimate goal through all his years of running. Haile had a successful 2006 marathon season but he had to drop out of the London Marathon last month where he had a high expectation of winning against a strong field that was assembled. Unfortunately, Haile had to drop out after 30 kilometers.

In an interview that I heard several days after London's race, Haile said he encountered sudden difficulty in breathing, which his doctors have later on told him was due to pollen allergy. The unusual warm weather in London had resulted in high level of pollen in the air. Haile said he was very confident of winning as he passed the 25 km mark but his race was unexpectedly over 15 minutes later. Third time was definitely not a charm for Haile in London. Even before the race, I was disappointed to read the defending champion openly stating that he does not fear Haile and that Haile's aura is gone.

Immediately after the news of Haile's DNF in London, many Ethiopians started commenting on internet discussion boards calling on him to gracefully retire from running. These were similar remarks heard after Haile's shocking loss at the 2001 World Championship 10000M race in Edmonton, Canada. This time, however, even Haile's manager Jos Hermens admitted that Haile himself has for the first time talked about retiring after his DNF in London.

Just before this year's London Marathon, Haile had confidently talked about his desire to run until the 2012 London Olympics. Only few days later there was talk of retirement. Haile said that people that he respects have even come to him privately to suggest retirement but it looks his retirement is still far off. Haile says that some will be disappointed if he does not retire and others will be disappointed if he does retire. I just hope that he will get a farewell tour he so deserves when it is time to retire, rather than be forced to walk away with injury or series of embarrassing defeats.

In light of the above, it is quite concerning that Haile has decided to return to track racing in attempts of recapturing glory from yesteryear. I think his decision to run 10000M in Hengelo will be questioned by many if he can not manage to run a 27:30 or faster time and finish in the top three. Haile seems to have ruled out running in the world championships in August but says 2008 Beijing Olympics is a must and will do anything to get ready.

At best, Haile seems to not be thinking clearly, vacillating between retirement and more Olympics, and between marathon and track. He also seems to be distracted by his activities off the track including his business, political mediation, the Millennium Run, and various other VIP appearances. It is great that Haile has all these things that he can focus his attention on after he hangs up his running shoes, but at this time, they may very well be enough of a distraction to prevent him from performing at his best.

Other Ethiopians competing in the 10000M race are Sileshi Sihin and Gebregziabher Gebremariam. On the women's side Gelete Burka (4th in Mombasa) and Mestawot Tufa will face Lornah Kiplagat (1st in Mombasa) and the former Ethiopian Maryam Yusuf Jamal over 5000M.

Best wishes to all. You can watch the race live here.
------------------------

UPDATE:
Men's 10000M: Several Ethiopians started the race- Haile, Sileshi Sihine, Gebregziabher Gebremariam, Deriba Merga, and Ali Abdosh. Haile was all smiles and enjoying himself at the start line, chatting it up with Sileshi. Haile kept up with the leaders and the pace all through the whole race staying in 4th and 5th place. As the bell rang for the final lap, Kenyan Eliud Kipchoge was in the lead with Sileshi, Gebre, and Haile right on his heels. Kipchoge upped the pace immediately and Haile was dropped off along with Gebre. Coming to the last 100 meter, Kipchoge was still in the lead with SIleshi in second and another Kenyan, Moses Mosop (2nd in Mombasa), in third place. Sileshi pushed hard and he overtook Kipchoge in the last 25 meters to take the win with the smallest of margins. Sileshi ran a very fast time of 26:49 and it looked like Mosop in third, Gebre in fourth, and Haile in fifth, all inside of 27:00. I believe Haile justified his entry in the race by running a very fast time but it is clear that he is nowhere close to winning a championship medal in 10000M. On the flip side, with Haile past his prime and Kenenisa having other difficulties, Sileshi's time to come out of the shadow may finally have arrived and he may be collecting Gold Medals in upcoming championship races.

Women's 5000M : Gelete Burka has won the race in 14:38 with a very dominaing performance. She looked very, very good. She will be a challenge to Tirunesh, Meseret, and Meselech. Gelete barely missed Meseret Defar's meet record from last year. Mestawot Tufa finished fourth and Belaynesh Fekadu finished fifth.

Gebrselassie to return to the track in Hengelo

Hengelo, The Netherlands - The Ethiopian running legend Haile Gebrselassie will pay tribute to his name as ‘Mr. Hengelo’ by returning to the track to contest the 10,000m at the 25th edition of the THALES FBK-Games on Saturday 26 May.

Gebrselassie, who after the 2005 World Championship said he would never again run on the track, had a change of heart for a simple reason... more

[You can watch this race from Hengelo, Netherlands live by registering here.]

Kenenisa fails to recover from Mombasa

Daily Nation Online

Story by ELIAS MAKORI in Addis Ababa
Publication Date: 5/20/2007

Has the world seen the last of Kenenisa Bekele’s powerful running in the middle and long distance races? Is this the end of an era?

A couple of months ago, these would hardly have been questions to ask. I for one could never have imagined that the stocky Kenenisa could blow his turbo so soon before the World Championships in Osaka this summer, or next year’s Olympics in Beijing.

But on Friday evening, the Olympic and world champion made a startling revelation: that he has never recovered from the disastrous 12-kilometre race at the 35th World Cross Country Championships in Mombasa in March, leading to the big question of whether or not we have seen the last of Ethiopia’s “pocket rocket.”

In an interview at one of his residences near the embassy of Gabon in Addis Ababa, Kenenisa almost broke into tears as he narrated how he has unsuccessfully tried to pull himself together since falling off in the last lap of the Mombasa race and losing his world title to Eritrean rival, Zersanay Tadesse.

Loss of form

Kenenisa is so off-form that he even doubts his chances of competing at the World Championships in Osaka in August. He has ruled out an assault on the 10,000m and 5,000m double in the Japan meet should he miraculously bounce back.

So low was his morale that as this interview dragged into his 4pm training time, he sat on, pensively, without any sense of urgency. Instead, it was his brother, Tariku, who begged to leave on time for the afternoon run on the outskirts of Addis Ababa, perhaps with an increasing awareness that sooner rather than later the weight of an expectant nation will shift from Kenenisa’s hitherto strong shoulders onto his young, inexperienced ones.

The Sunday Nation also spoke to Kenenisa’s father, 82-year-old Bekele Bayicha, brother Tariku, coach Woldemeskel Kostre and his distance running mentor, Haile Gebrselassie. And all of them were at a loss of words over Bekele’s sudden loss of form.

Bad dream

Not even frequent trips to the doctor have revealed the source of Kenenisa’s loss of the power that endeared him to many fans and made him the athlete to beat in distance running.

As he spoke on Friday evening, everyone around him, including his brother Tariku and his house helps, fought off tears. The story did not seem real. It was like a bad dream.

A combination of the Kenyan coast’s heat and humidity, a bad game plan on his part, knee injury and lack of a lap counter at the Mombasa Golf Course all contributed to the fall of one of the world’s greatest athletes ever.

Throughout the interview on Friday, six words he uttered stood out and summed up his feelings: “I have no power any more.”

Kenenisa’s training plans have never been able to get off the ground since the Mombasa championships, and the man from Bekoji in the Oromiya region, Ethiopia’s athletics breadbasket, is devastated.

“After Mombasa, my leg muscles felt like they were arm muscles,” Kenenisa told his sad tale.

“I felt dizzy, and two weeks later I had pain in my knee. I did not know that when I was running in Mombasa I hurt my knee. I have gone to see many doctors and they say it was a muscle tissue injury, which will get better through massage.

“I have seen many doctors but they all tell me that I’m not ill. But I feel I have no power any more.

“Previously, for example, I was able to lift this table (coffee table in his living room) but now I struggle to do this. I have no power any more?

“When I do hard training sometimes I have this pain in my head which I cannot resist? I don’t have power in my body any more?. sometimes I train well one day and the next day I cannot train well? I need time to recover.”

It was at this point of the interview that the room fell silent as Kenenisa almost broke down.

But he came around and pointed out that his physical condition was so bad that he would have to drastically scale down his international competitions.

“Normally, I run 16 competitions a year but this year I think I will run only five,” he said. “After the World Championships (in Osaka) I will probably run only three.”

He will be only 25 on June 13, but Kenenisa’s international resume reads as though he has been in top flight athletics for the last 20 years.

Sample this: 2001 world junior cross country champion; 2001 world short course cross country silver medallist; 2002, 2003, 2004 and 2005 double world short and long course cross country champion; 1999 world youth 3,000m silver medalist; 2000 world junior 5,000m bronze medalist; 2003,2005 world 10,000m champion; 2003 world championships 5,000m silver medalist and 2003 All Africa Games 5,000m champion.

The list goes on: 2004 Olympic 10,000m champion; 2004 Olympic 5,000m silver medalist; 2006 world indoor 3,000m champion and 2006 African 5,000m champion.

Before the World Cross Country Championships in Mombasa, Kenenisa, who runs for the Muger Cement Club in Addis Ababa and is managed by Dutchman Jos Hermens, had not lost a cross country race since December 2001.

Could his sudden loss of form be a burnout, a result of running too fast too soon?

He doesn’t think so: “My schedule in the last four or five years has not changed. Moreover, this is only the beginning of the 2007 season. After a break from 2006, how can I lose power at this time?”

However, the soft-spoken king of distance running said he was happy with the Kenyan crowd at the Mombasa championships, but observed that the lack of a lap counter in the 12km race was partly to blame for his loss to Eritrea’s Zersanay Tadesse.

“There was no lap counter, it was too hot and the opposition was strong. With such weather and conditions, how did they (organisers) expect us to know the number of laps without a lap counter,” he wondered.

“After finishing four laps, I thought I was going for the final lap only to be told at the bell that there was one more lap! I could not control my body any more and I could not afford another kick to the finish and that’s why I dropped off with a few metres to go – I just could not control my body.

“But I was happy with the Kenyans. Wherever I went, in the hotel and everywhere else, they were happy to see me and said I had added value to the championships by coming.

“I love the Kenyan people but I was not happy with the radio announcements and some internet articles that said I was a bad loser in Mombasa. I always try my best to compete. Sport is not only about winning and I will always respect the Kenyan people,” he said.

Like his brother, Tariku also did not finish the 12km race in Mombasa due to the heat and humidity.

“We have never seen conditions like this before,” Tariku said. “It was too hot and I could not finish the race.”

“But although I dropped out in the early laps, I could not believe my eyes when Kenenisa dropped out? I have no words to say how I felt? the course was also very hard, it was like running on a motor racing track!”

Kenenisa and Tariku’s father, Bayicha Bekele, lives with his third wife, mother of the two stars, in Bekoji town, some 200 kilometres outside Addis Ababa in a house Kenenisa built for him.

When the Sunday Nation caught up with him midweek, he read malice in the decision to have the World Cross Country Championships in Mombasa. A deliberate ploy to have his son dethroned.

“The weather was terrible! I could not believe my son dropped out of the race,” he said. “I think having the race under such conditions was deliberate. But its God’s will and God sees everything.”

Recovery

Woldemeskel Kostre, Ethiopia’s award-winning coach of the middle and long distance races, was also unable to explain what happened in Mombasa.

But what has shocked him most is the fact that Bekele has never recovered. “He needs support to get his form back. But from the way I see it, it will take time.”
The sentiments are shared by Haile Gebrselassie, arguably the world’s best ever long distance runner.

“Kenenisa learnt a lot from me and I have also learnt a lot from him. What happened in Mombasa was unbelievable. But I’m sure he will be back,” Gebrselassie said in his eighth floor office of the eight storey Alem Building that he built from his track earnings and named after his wife.

He added: “Kenenisa has achieved a lot. But sometimes when you grow older you lose speed and when the youngsters come up, it is difficult to challenge them.”

The exact extent of Kenenisa’s loss of form and power will be clearer in 10 days’ time when he competes in the 3,000 metres, his first race of the track season, in Hengelo, The Netherlands, at a meeting organised by his manager Hermens.

Maybe only then will the world know whether this is really the beginning of the end of Kenenisa Bekele’s illustrious running career.

But as it stands, Kenenisa is not the same “pocket rocket” that the world knew. His turbo seems to have blown.

On the Home Front

The Great Bahir Dar Run 10K, staged by the Great Ethiopian Run, took place in Bahir Dar, Ethiopia today. It took a sprint finish to decide the men’s race, won by Yetwal Kandie in 29:14.07, while a barefoot Genet Talew won the women’s division by a huge margin in a time of 34:13.78. You can read more on this race here…

It was great to see Ethiopian athletes do well in competitions in Europe and America over the weekend. But nothing makes me happier than reading about my beloved sport of roocha taking a foot hold (no pun intended) back home with grass root level participation races across the country, such as the Great Bahir Dar Run. And this is entirely due to the work done by the Great Ethiopian Run organization, which was founded in 2001, and whose Chairman of the Board is none other than the great Haile Gebrselassie.

The GER organization lists as its aim “the betterment of life in Ethiopia by (i) giving the public opportunity to participate in the country’s national sport (ii) serving as a platform for publicising important health messages, in particular AIDS prevention messages and (iii) contributing to much-needed imaging building for the country.”

These goals are as noble as any listed by any organization working on behalf of Ethiopia and its people. And considering the success of the different races GER has hosted since 2001, and the international renown some of these races have achieved, it is clear that GER is meeting and passing its goals by leaps and bounds.

Although the annual Great Ethiopian Run 10K held in Addis Ababa in November is the most popular race hosted by GER, the organization stages several other races throughout the year. Last month, GER hosted Confidence Women’s First 5K, which is a race only for women, with as many as 8000 participants. It is truly amazing that the organizers are able to get such a large turnout of women for a mass participation road race in a country where women traditionally are not given the lime light and face difficult issues such as violence without much support. The main message of the 5K to “Stop Violence Against Women” is a very important message that needs to be understood by all parts of our society.

This particular message, and the 5K race, could not have happened at a more appropriate time considering the horrific attack carried out on a 21 year old woman Kamilat Mehdi. As senseless and unimaginable as this attack on Kamilat was, it was also wonderful that GER was able to provide support to Kamilat to help pay for transportation and medical expenses for treatment abroad. In addition to support given to Kamilat Mehdi, proceeds from the Women’s First 5K were used to provide scholarship funds for three women.

Considering that GER has successfully hosted many mass participation races across Ethiopia, and in the process have attracted international athletes as well as international television media, and considering GER has used this forum to disseminate important health and social messages, a GREAT KUDOS is in order for everyone associated with the Great Ethiopian Run organization. Well done, indeed!

Stay tuned for GER’s next race: Great Adama Run on June 17, 2007 in Nazareth, Ethiopia.

Speedy Mezzy

Earlier this afternoon I watched Meseret “Mezzy” Defar on live TV break the 2 Mile World Record in the Adidas Track Classic in Carson, California. Meseret won the race in 9:10.47, improving the old record of 9:11.97 held by Regina Jacobs of USA. It is worth noting that Regina Jacobs was banned from track and field few years ago for using banned performance enhancing substances and all her records have been viewed with suspicion as a result. It is nice to have Meseret “clean” that record.

Meseret ran most of the race by herself and her margin of victory appeared to be no less than 150 meters. She was simply in a league of her own and she would probably have run even faster if she had close competition. This is the third world record Meseret has set in a space of one year. In June 2006 she set an outdoor 5000M World Record in New York, and this year in early February she set an indoor 3000M World Record in Stuttgart, Germany.

It was great to see a sizeable contingent of flag waving Ethiopian supporters cheering on Meseret to a new World Record. She returned the favor by going to the crowd immediately after crossing the finish line. The camera showed Meseret blowing kisses to her fans and yelling back ewedachualehu [I love you].

The only other race that Ethiopians participated in at this meet was the women’s 1500M. Meskerem Legesse finished 7th in 4:09.29 and Mestawot Tadesse finished 9th in 4:09.80.

Unheralded Ethiopians Impress

Ethiopian athletes may not be dominant at events such as the men’s 1500m or the 3000m steeplechase but last night’s (19) ‘Gran Premio de Andalucía’ - EAA Permit - held in Herrera (100km east of Seville) on a warm but windy day, witnessed what well could be the rising to the crème of two previously unknown Ethiopians … more

The Ageless Distance Runner

Care to guess who that might be??

When I wrote the last entry on May 15 , about May 15, I did not know that date was also Miruts "Yifter the Shifter" birthday. Supposedly it was his 63rd birthday, but it is not known for sure, and he is not telling. Instead, Miruts gives a great quote:

"Men may steal my chickens; men may steal my sheep. But no man can steal my age."

Most people remember Miruts for his double gold medal at 5000M and 10000M at the 1980 Moscow Olympics. But he also won a bronze medal at the 1972 Munich Olympics, eight years before achieving stardom in Moscow. He was also supposed to compete in the 5000M in Munich, but he is said to have missed the race due to confusion created by poor communication. Of course, he did not compete in the 1976 Montreal Olympics because of Ethiopia's boycott, which may have robbed him of a unique distinction of winning a double-double: 5000M/10000M victory in back-to-back Olympics, which Lasse Viren of Finland managed to achieve in Munich and Montreal, in Miruts' absence.

Here is a summary of Miruts' career as presented by the Olympic Movement. There is also a must watch vintage video of Miruts (with great afro and all) running in the 5000/10000 in Moscow alongside of the great Mohammed Kedir, who sacrificed himself for Miruts in the 5000, and Tolossa Kotu, who is currently an Assistant Coach of the Ethiopian National Team.

If you are interested to read more about Miruts, including his life in the recent past, check out this article from 2004.

Day 45 and May 15

Back in February, I wrote an entry about streakers and asked if anyone would like to join me in attempting a streak. Sad to say, noone accepted and my own plan got derailed before it even started after a slip and fall on ice which resulted in a fractured elbow.

On April 1, with almost no training, I ran the 2007 Cherry Blossom 10 mile run. Though it was absolutely exhausting, that run was a huge confidence builder. In fact, it was such an unexpected achievement to finish that run that I decided it would be a good start for another attempt at streaking.

Today, May 15, 2007, marks day 45 of the streak I started on April 1. I now have run as many days as my previous longest streak of 45 days in 2006. So far, the biggest challenges have been weather and lack of sleep. With the exception of two days last month when winds of 30-40 mph forced me to do my run on a treadmill at home, I did all my runs outdoors in early morning before work. This morning was particularly early because I had an early morning work appointment. So I had to roll out of bed at 4:45AM to get ready and go out on a run. It was nice to log in a 4 mile run even before the high school students of the neighborhood got on their bus at 6:30AM.

So, I plan to continue my daily run until "circumstance beyond my control" brings it to a stop. Although I have not had much chance to add a blog entry for the past month, rest assured it is not due to running taking the back seat. It is just that the entries were being written on the streets...

Many things to catch up on, so we will soon pick up from where we left off. Till then, here is another milestone reached on May 15, infinitely more significant than a trivial running streak.

Ode to Abe..

An uttered phrase has stuck with me for no apparent reason. In was three years ago that the nicely or not so nicely named (depending on your point of view) Atalelech Ketema, who at that time was tearing up the DC road racing circuit had a post race chat with your blogers. She summed up her thoughts about running by saying that it is an addiction (likift she called it). Holding her trophy, she reflected that some people don’t even have good finishing times yet they still run. Then she glanced towards the two of us and asked how we did in the race. That was not a good question for us. Roocha did a great job of evading and I used him as a human shield. We never revealed our time but I am sure she figured we were victims of that likift.

So I could not help but think of the likift comment when I saw Abebe Mekonnen among the finishers of today’s Boston Marathon. The first I heard of Abebe Mekonnen was when his picture jumped out at me on sports page of the Dallas Morning News back in 1989. I clipped that grainy picture and I still have that newspaper clipping. Mengistu was still running Ethiopia then and it was years before we would see Haile, Deratru or Fatuma Roba transform running. I still remember the emotion and pride I felt that day. Abebe Mekonnen went on to complete many more marathons. 32 of his marathons were under 2:15:00, which is a record. His personal best is an impressive 2:07:35 which was set almost 20 years ago (1988) which makes it even more impressive. But Abebe never did well in the World Championships or Olympics. But his modesty and his hard work made me a fan.

Today, at the age of 43, 18 years after winning in Boston he braved the near freezing temperature, rain and gusting winds to finish 177th. Abebe had nothing to prove, there was no money to be made there was no glory in finishing. Yet he finished. I hope the DNF kids who were a disgrace in Mombassa are watching this old lion who goes head on against adversity.

Why Run?

On Sunday February 25, 2007, Tadesse Tola won the Ethiopian Cross Country Trials at Jan Meda in Addis Ababa. I had never heard of Tadesse Tola before then, and when I saw the results I even wondered if it was a fluke win. After all, it is not an everyday occurence where a relative unknown shows up and thrashes a well established runners such as Sileshi Sihine and Tariku Bekele. With that win, Tadesse gained prominence in international athletics.

One month later, on March 24, 2007 I got a chance to see (on TV) Tadesse Tola compete at the 35th IAAF World Cross Country Championships in Mombasa, Kenya. On the initial results, Tadesse Tola was listed as DNF (Did Not Finish). I saw that race few times and it was clear that Tadesse had finished in seventh place (first Ethiopian), yet the results never got corrected. I could not find explanation for this no matter where I looked so it remained a mystery for a while. The official results now show him as the seventh place finisher. Tadesse's result was confirmation that his victory at Jan Meda a month before was no fluke. Just as he had done at Jan Meda, he finished ahead of all the other Ethiopians in the race, including Kennenisa Bekele who did not finish the race. As a side bar, it is worth noting (with heartburn!) that the other Ethiopian men finished the race in 15th, 16th, 17th and 27th places. With the corrected results of Tadesse Tola in 7th place, five Ethiopians finished the senior men's race. However, a minimum of six finishers were needed to get a team score. Therefore, had Kennenisa hanged on two finish in second place behind Zeresenay, Team Ethiopia would have scored 84 (2+7+15+16+17+27) easily outpacing Team Morocco who claimed the Silver Medal behind Kenya with 152 points. Kennenisa dropping out of the race cost the Ethiopian team a most certain Silver Medal!! Anyway, let me go back to my focus on Tadesse Tola. I will do a separate post about other observations from the Mombasa race later on.

A mere one week after the Mombasa race, Tadesse had flown half-way around the world and was at the heart of Washington, D.C. on Sunday April 1st. Never mind the fatigue from a grueling race in Mombasa just a week before, or the jetlag from flying half way around the world, the 19 year old Tadesse was lined up as one of the favorites to win Washington, D.C.'s most popular race- Cherry Blosom 10 Mile Run. And win he did! He turned in one of the fastest times in recent years while our compatriot Teyba Erkesso tore apart her competition in the process of setting a new world record for ten miles.

And this is where the story gets real interesting- at least for me. It just so happened that my blogging partner Welemta and I were also registered for this same Cherry Blossom race. I was in no form to run a ten mile race but still managed to finish the race. I shall not disclose my finishing time here, but let's just say I caught a nice view of Tadesse Tola as he was breaking away from his challengers about half-mile from the finish line. At that time I was somewhere between mile 2 and 3.

So, why run? One can list many reasons but here are ten reasons that is worth considering. I particularly like #8:

Running offers a unique opportunity for recreational runners to mix with world-class athletes. You can't play in a PGA golf tournament, at Wimbledon or for a Super 12 Rugby side, but on almost every weekend, recreational runners compete in the same events with elite athletes.

Six weeks ago, I learned of Tadesse Tola for the first time. Two weeks ago I watched him compete at the Cross Country Championships in Kenya. One week ago, I was in the same race with him- proof positive for Reason #8!!

After the race, Welemta and I walked over to the awards ceremony. We watched the top finishers (several Ethiopians including the two champions) receive their awards to the appluase of an enthusiastic crowd. We then made our way to the side of the stage where the athletes were. They were obviously having a good time amongst themselves but were very gracious to us as we introduced ourselves, shook hands with and congratulated all of them, and took sometime to chat. It was refreshing to see how respectful and polite these athletes were even as they were signing autographs for fans and accomodating reporters, including from The Washington Post, who published a nice piece about the race.

Let me conclude with one final thing worth noting- with heartburn! As Welemta and I walked back to our car, we passed by an adjacent field where a pick up soccer game was in progress. The field was no farther than 200m from where the awards for the race had just been given out. The soccer players were mostly Ethiopians, some of them wearing patriotic warm up suits with the design of the Ethiopian tri-color flag. As they ran back and forth kicking the ball, it was apparent that they were completely oblivious to the fact that world class Ethiopian runners had just won the hugely popular Cherry Blossom race with a world record setting performance. On the following day, I eagerly listened to VOA Amharic's weekly sport program with anticipation of a report on Tadesse and Teyba's great achievement just a day before. VOA, whose headquarter is just a stone throw away from where the race took place, was obviously just as well (ill) informed as the soccer players we passed.

What a fitting image to portray the level of attention Ethiopian runners get when they are not running in the Olympics or World Championships. Never mind that St. George beat Coffee 3-1 in a Premiere League shake up match!

Tariku Update

You will remember Tariku Aboset from my previous posts here. Tariku has continued to struggle with the injury he sustained on his Achilles at the Arizona Rock and Roll Marathon in January this year. Despite the injury, he has continued his training and will be running in the Nagano Marathon in Nagano, Japan this coming Sunday April 15th.

Happy Easter!

"Why do you look for the living among the dead?
He is not here; he has risen!
Remember how he told you, while he was still with you in Galilee:
'The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men,
be crucified and on the third day be raised again.' "

Luke 24: 5-7

Showtime in Mombasa

It has finally arrived. Today is the day for the 35th IAAF World Cross Country Championships in Mombasa, Kenya. Withinn the next two hours, we will know if Ethiopia can reclaim cross country dominance away from Kenya and if Kennenisa Bekele becomes the only man to ever win six senior men title.

The live feed from ETV is currently showing men's 10000M race from the 1st All Ethiopian Games at the Addis Ababa Stadium. They will be switching to the meet in Mombasa in the next ten minutes, in time for the senior women's race featuring Tirunesh, Meselech, Gelete, and others. I will be providing updates in the comment section to this post.

Best wishes for Team Ethiopia!!

History on the Horizon

Unlike the Olympics or World Championships, the IAAF Cross Country Championship is an annual event. So, the natural question to ask is what is special about this year’s edition of the championship. The answer is basically two-fold.

First, this year’s event is being held in Africa. Obviously, Africa produces the world’s best runners so it is only fitting that a major championship event is once again hosted by an African nation. And this time, not just any African nation, but Kenya- the absolute dominant country in the event for most of the past twenty years. Although I would argue that Ethiopia produces better championship caliber performers overall, there is no disputing that Kenya is unrivaled in the depth of talent it has on display in all major races around the world. It is not at all unusual for Kenyans to take seven or eight of the top ten positions in many of the major city road races. The fact that this year’s championship is held in Kenya is an acknowledgement of the contribution Kenya has made to the sport of running. Kenya should be congratulated for its athletes achievement since the late 1960’s, and all African’s should take pride that Kenya has managed to bring a truly world class sporting event once again back to Africa.

Secondly, this year’s championship is special because Kennenisa Bekele has decided to compete in it. As a strange as it may sound, this one decision by one man has entirely changed the tone of the championship. One year ago, after winning his fifth consecutive long and short course double championship, Kennenisa announced that he would not be running the 2007 race in Mombasa. He stated that there is really nothing more left for him to achieve in cross country having already won an unprecedented ten individual gold medals in the senior men race. He wanted to make room for the up-and-coming Ethiopian runners.

Following Kennenisa’s announcement, there were speculations all throughout the year whether he would stick by his words or have a change of heart and compete once more. Even some of the Kenyan athletes conceded that the race would simply not be the same without Kennenisa present, and whoever the champion turns out to be, he could really not claim to be a world champion without defeating Kennenisa.

As the championships neared, Kennenisa appeared to be sticking with his decision not to compete in Mombassa, but still left himself room to change his mind if he wanted to compete. In January this year, Kennenisa started hinting for an appearance fee to be paid to him to participate in Mombasa when he commented that he may run “if there is something special” offered to him. IAAF insists that no appearance fee has been paid to Kennenisa to participate.

The first big hint that Kennenisa was leaning towards running in Mombasa came when it was revealed that an open spot has been reserved on the team at the announcement of the Ethiopian squad on March 1st. Few days later, on March 5th, Kennenisa announced that he would be participating in the Mombasa championship to defend his title in the senior men 12km race. In the press conference he gave today, he says that his participation is out of respect for his friends and rivals from Kenya.

Kennenisa cites his recent record setting performance in Birmingham and Stockholm as additional reason for changing his decision of one year ago. It is obvious that he is convinced that he can win again or else he would not have been willing to take a risk of defeat on the home soil of his greatest rivals. A defeat in Mombasa will be a very bitter pill to swallow but a victory will distinguish Kennenisa high above all other cross country runners in history. Currently, Kennenisa’s five victories in the 12km race have him tied with the Kenyan legends Paul Tergat and John Ngugi, who have also won five titles each. A sixth victory tomorrow will prove that Kennenisa has no equal in cross county running. And to achieve this by beating Kenyans in Kenya will make it that much more special.

I am convinced that Kennenisa made his decision to compete in Mombasa much earlier than announced and simply kept quiet to keep his Kenyan rivals guessing. Now that the Kenyans know that Kennenisa will be in the race, they will leave no stone unturned in an attempt to protect their signature sport and their home turf from being owned by Kennenisa. It is almost certain that a Kenyan team tactic will be deployed to tire out Kennenisa and throw him off his game plan. But I believe Kennenisa, with his experience and talent, will overcome any challenge and earn another victory.

In addition to the individual title, the team title will be highly contested tomorrow. Between 1986 and 2003, Kenya won the senior men team title for 18 consecutive years setting the longest winning streak in international sport. Ethiopia then took it away in 2004 and 2005 but Kenya regained it last year. It will be a great achievement for Ethiopia to take this back on Kenyan soil. And Ethiopia has strong enough field to achieve this goal. In addition to Kennenisa, his younger brother Tariku, Sileshi Sihine, and Abebe Dinkessa all have strong cross country credentials. The Ethiopian trial champion Tadesse Tola could also be the dark horse in this race.

Team scoring in cross country is simple- add up the finishing place of the top five runners on a team to get a team score. A perfect score is achieved if a team places its runners first to fifth for a score of 15 (1+2+3+4+5). The team with the lowest score wins. I believe Ethiopia can place two or three in the top five and all five scoring runners in the top ten.

On the women’s side, the biggest drama may be entirely within the Ethiopian team. Tirunesh Dibaba is going for her third consecutive senior women victory which would tie her with the American Lynn Jennings from the 1990’s. However, I do not believe that Tirunesh is a lock for a victory. Meselech Melkamu is in absolute top form which she displayed in her indoor 3000M race in Stuttgart last month and her decisive victory at the Ethiopian Cross Country Trials earlier this month.

Also not to be counted out is Gelete Burka who was the Junior Race champion two years ago and the Short Race champion last year. She has already won two cross country races this year in Edinburgh, Scotland and Seville, Spain. Add to that Wude Ayalew, who has had great results over the past couple of months, and I believe the Ethiopian women are a lock for a team victory tomorrow. I don’t believe it is far fetched to think these Ethiopian ladies could finish 1-2-3 in tomorrow’s race. If I have to pick an individual winner, I would go with Meselech Melkamu at this time simply because Tirunesh has not done any cross country racing so far in 2007. One other thing to note is how Maryam Jamal of Bahrain (formerly Zenebech Tola of Ethiopia) will fare competing among the Ethiopians. Apparently, Jamal is in good form as she showed in winning the Asian Cross Country championship in a dominating fashion. Also running in tomorrow’s race will be Turkey’s Elvan Abeylegesse, the former Ethiopian Hewan Abeye. The Kenyans will also have to contend with several formerly Kenyan athletes who now compete for another country including Netherlands’ Lornah Kiplagat.

The course on the grounds of Mombasa Golf Club is said to be flat and fast but the whether will be warm (mid 80’s) and humid (80%). When all is said and done, the weather could prove to be the toughest opponent for Kennenisa and the other runners alike.

We will have to wait few more hours to find out if history is made at the Mombasa race. As I mentioned on my last entry, I am excited to be watching all races live and providing up to the minute update here on ROOCHA.
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You can watch the races for yourself if you are willing to pay a $6.95 subscription fee. For two weeks now, I have been watching a 24hour/7days live feed of Ethiopian Television (ETV) over the internet (must have broad-band connection) through Jump TV. I had seen the banner ad on Ethiopian Review’s website (not to be considered an endorsement of content) for few months prior but decided to give it a try two weekends ago. I signed up for a one month access for $6.95. The day that I signed up happened to be the opening ceremony of the 1st All Ethiopian Games which I enjoyed watching including the torch lighting by Haile Gebrselassie, Tirunesh Dibaba, Meseret Defar, and Sileshi Sihin.

Obviously, the news segment on ETV is unfiltered government propaganda. However, I have found the other shows (Tea/Coffee, Q & A, Aerobics, Cooking, Sport, and even commercials) to be quite interesting. The connection is fairly stable (7 on a 1-10 scale) with the exception of minor hiccups and occasional and abrupt interruption by Jump TV. Overall, I have found it to be a good value and a step forward in my project “If I can’t go to Ethiopia, I will bring Ethiopia to me.” Last weekend ETV announced that it will carry the Cross Country Championship in Mombasa LIVE for the first time ever. Coverage begins tomorrow at 3:30PM local time which is 8:30AM Eastern Daylight Savings Time. The senior women’s race is at 9:40AM EDT and the senior men’s race is at 10:20AM EDT.

Past and Future

If you don’t follow the calendar of athletic events, let me give you a quick hint: you want to stay tuned to ROOCHA this coming Saturday. The 35th IAAF World Cross Country Championships will be held on March 24th at the Mombasa Golf Club in Mombasa, Kenya. There will be 66 nations, Ethiopia being chief among them, participating in the four races scheduled. All the big guns, including reigning champions Kennenisa Bekele and Tirunesh Dibaba, will be running for top honors. You will not want to miss this history making event!!

With the exception of the last few years, the Kenyans have practically owned cross country events, until the emergence of Kennenisa Bekele in 2002. Now that the event will be held on Kenya’s home soil, and for the first time ever in Africa, you can be sure that the Kenyans will be out to exact revenge for their past loss on neighbor Ethiopia in front of their home crowd. There is a lot at stake on Saturday as history will be made and ROOCHA will provide up to the minute coverage so be sure to stay tuned. There will also be additional commentary posted on this event, one of the biggest for the year, prior to the races on Saturday.

However, prior to that, I would like to recap some items that went uncovered here during the past month. Many notable accomplishments have taken place within the last month including a World Record run. On Saturday February 17th, Kennenisa Bekele was the star at the Norwich Union Indoor Grand Prix in Birmingham, England where he set a World Record in the rarely contested 2000M race. The previous record was held for nine years by the great Haile Gebrselassie.

You will recall that only a week before this race in Birmingham, Kennenisa had to withdraw from a race in Spain due to injury, so it was great to see at the Birmingham race that he was still in top form. In fact, it is quite astounding for a 10000M specialist to come down to a shorter race and set a world record. 2000M is only one lap (outdoors) more than a mile and Kennenisa’s record setting run was an indication that he has the speed of a miler together with the strength of a 10000M runner- a lethal combination and one surely noted by any of his supposed opponents. One interesting side item here is that athletes such as Kennenisa make a 10+ hour plane trip for a five minute race (the record he set was 4:49.99)

With a new world record in his back pocket, Kennenisa moved on to Stockholm, Sweden for a second world record attempt in a space of four days. This was quite ambitious, even for someone with Kennenisa’s talent. On February 21st, the race was over 3000M and the existing record was set by Daniel Komen of Kenya in 1998. Komen’s 3000M records, both indoors and outdoors, have proven to be too difficult to crack for almost 10 years now. Predictably, Kennenisa fell short of Komen’s record by six seconds.

Incidentally, you will recall that Daniel Komen burst on the running scene in 1996 and even gave Haile a run for his money for sometime. Komen was angered by being left off the 1996 Kenyan Olympic team. He used the European circuit that followed the Olympics to vent this anger and as a result handed Haile one of his rare defeats in the late 1990’s. Komen also has the unique distinction of being the only man to EVER run 2 miles under eight minutes. This is an amazing achievement that is quite under-reported considering that Sir Roger Bannister’s first ever sub-four minute mile is considered to be the single greatest athletic achievement in the history of sports. Komen effectively did the same on two back-to-back miles, a feat that has not been repeated!! One has to wonder why this achievement has received such little attention. Could Komen’s skin color have anything to do with it?? Anyway, Haile took the shot from Komen but still held his own while Komen quickly faded away from the running scene (not to be confused with the other Daniel Komen currently racing).

Boy, did I ever digress from my original topic… Coming back to events of last month, another piece of news that came out was the announcement of the elite field for the 111th Boston Marathon on April 16th. The great Ethiopian fans in Boston will be happy to know that five Ethiopians, three men and two women, are among the elite athletes entered for the marathon. Among the five is Hailu Negussie, the champion in the 2005 race. Boston Marathon is another event which the Kenyan men have had strangle hold of. It will be great if one of our own wins again in Boston and give the local Ethiopians reason to celebrate again, like Tirunesh Dibaba did earlier this year. (Side tirivia- who is the only other Ethiopian man to win the Boston Marathon? Answer at the end.)

Another news item that came across in the past month was regarding Haile Gebrselassie’s plan in the marathon for 2007. Haile had a great year in 2006, except in the London Marathon, and he says he is finally getting results for his effort at this distance. Two things that make me a fan of Haile are illustrated in this article: his confidence- “I know that it is a matter of luck and time before I break the [Marathon] World Record;” and his patriotism in representing his country – “it is tempting when a chance to represent my country [at the Osaka World Championships] comes up.” You will understand the significance of the latter statement when you realize that many elite marathoners shy away from World Championship marathon in August so that they could preserve their energy to race one of the big city marathons in the fall and earn lots of money. Go Haile go!

The Ethiopian Cross Country trials (to select team for World Cross Country in Mombasa) took place at Jan Meda on February 25th. A surprise winner was the relatively unknown Tadesse Tola, relegating his more famous compatriots Sileshi Sihine to 3rd place, Tariku Bekele to 6th place and Abebe Dinkessa to 8th place. This goes to show how deep and strong the Ethiopian talent is this year, with great prospect for individual and team victory in Mombasa. I was delighted to learn that almost half of this year’s contingent for Mombasa are talented newcomers who will nicely complement the titans Kennenisa and Tirunesh. On the women’s side, the victor at the Jan Meda trials was the Double M – Meselech Melkamu.

Two days after the Jan Meda race, one half of the “Dueling D’s,” Meseret Defar (who is skipping out on cross country) was half way across the globe in Puerto Rico attempting the reverse of what Kennenisa has been doing in Europe. Meseret decided to try her hands (or feet) at a distance longer than her specialty of 3000M and 5000M. She decided it was time to taste herself on the roads at a 10km race against the Kenyan-turned-Dutch Lornah Kiplagat who was the reigning champion for the previous three years. Whereas Kennenisa was trying to test his speed at shorter distances, Meseret was looking to check out her strength over a longer distance. Kiplagat won the race for the fouth consecutive year but Meseret came in second with a very good effort.

On March 17, Samuel Wanjiru of Kenya, 20, broke his own one month old Half-Marathon World Record by a huge 18 seconds at the CPC Half-Marathon in Hague, Netherlands. You will recall that Wanjiru set his previous record in early February by bettering the time Haile recorded in January 2006 in Phoenix Arizona. I am sure Haile’s previous vow to reclaim his record remains in tact.

All the remaining recent news is regarding World Cross Country Championships in Mombasa on Saturday. As I stated at the beginning, I will do a separate piece on that topic sometime tomorrow. If you are interested, I will also point you to a source where you can watch all the cross country races live from Mombasa for a nominal fee. Stay tuned!

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Q: who is the only other Ethiopian (other than 2005 champ Hailu Negussie) to win the Boston Marathon?
A: Abebe Mekonnen in 1989. Abebe Bikila ran in the 1963 Boston Marathon but he finished in 5th place. On the women’s side, Fatuma Roba won three consecutive years between 1997-1999.

Wintry Fall

Ok, as promised, time to catch up…

It has been rather quiet here at Roocha ever since my Valentine Day post about streakers. Incase you are wondering, no one has accepted my invitation to make an attempt on becoming a streaker. That proposal was dead on arrival, but rest assured, I am a believer of resurrection. And it is Easter season, after all!

I can also assure you that my silence for the past couple of weeks was not due to diverted attention by my own attempt at streaking. Actually, quite the opposite. I have only managed to go out for a run only on two days after Valentine’s Day. And the reason? I will tell you in a moment, but first let me back up to Jan. 10.

My son had a doctor appointment on that day, so I left the office in mid-afternoon to head to the doctor’s office to join my wife and son on the appointment. As usual, I was running late. So, in my frantic attempt to find the correct office suite for the appointment, I walked into the wrong office and started asking for my wife and son. The receptionist politely informed me I was at the wrong place, and I was eventually able to get to where I needed to be.

At the end the visit, we came out into the hallway and started waiting for the elevator to go back downstairs. Right about the same time, the receptionist I had spoken with earlier came out of that office and jumped into the elevator we had just stepped in. We started small talk after she made a comment noticing that I was eventually able to locate my wife and son. She informed us that the office she works in is one of Orthopedists and that they had some great Orthopedists if we were ever in need of one. Of course, we expressed our gratitude for the information she provided while in my mind contemplating why I would ever need to go to an Orthopedist.

As with any other small talk, this conversation was quickly forgotten immediately after exiting the elevator, until recalling it in vivid detail on Feb. 27. And the reason? I will tell you in a moment, but first let me back up to Feb. 22.

After the Valentine Day snow/ice storm that we had, the weather remained cold and the ice remained on the grass and sidewalk for several days. The following Sunday, Feb. 18, I could not wait any longer for the ice to melt completely, so I ventured out for a morning run in the neighborhood. After all, I had to start practicing for an impending running streak. Besides, it is running on days such as that one, when everyone else skips their planned run, that I find most satisfying about running. Some of the most memorable runs I have done were completed in horrible weather conditions.

Anyway, I was able to complete my run by sharing a lane with oncoming vehicular traffic. I repeated the same exercise on Monday Feb. 19 and then again on Thursday Feb. 22.

However, on my Thursday run, after going for a mile and half of a planned three mile run, I noticed the sidewalk on the other side of the street had been cleared. So I immediately crossed the street and hopped over a pile of snow and set my right foot on the side walk…

…as I quickly gathered myself to get back up from the ice covered sidewalk, I realized that I had stepped right onto a patch of ice which had appeared to be just a wet pavement. Putting down my first step on the sidewalk while in a running motion had earned me a very rapid and hard fall on my left side. As I took stock of what I may have injured, the pain I had only felt to be from a bruised hip and elbow. I continued on with my run, passing a group of kids waiting for their school bus, and finished the planned three miles. I then got myself ready and headed to work.

By the time it was 10:30AM, the pain in my elbow had become unbearable so I decided to go to the emergency room at the hospital. After taking some X-Rays, I learned that I had fractured my left elbow as a result of the fall- my first diagnosed running related injury ever! I left the hospital with my left hand in a sling, and my running streak over before it even started. I was told not to do any running and was referred to see a specialist in a few days.

So I promptly made an appointment to see Dr. Witte on Feb. 27 and on the day of the appointment drove to the address I was given earlier. As I started pulling into the parking lot I had a feeling of deja vu- I was back at the same place I was on Jan.10 for my son’s appointment. Looking at the appointment note, I realized that I was going back to the same floor where my son’s doctor appointment was. Wow, could this really be happening…

As I finish my visit with Dr. Witte and head to the receptionist desk to make a follow up appointment, that same lady, who only weeks before had recommended great Orthopedists, was sitting at the desk and waiting for me to hand her my papers. I had to ask her.

“Do you remember few weeks ago I wondered into your office and then…?”
“Yeah, it was in the afternoon, right?” she replied.
“Yes it was.”
“How amazing!”

Dr. Witte told me not to run for at least three more weeks. I had to do most things with just my right hand so I was not about to write a blog entry with just one hand on the keyboard, and hence the silence that followed.

I went back to see Dr. Witte last Tuesday and a follow up X-Ray showed that the elbow is 80% healed. The running ban has been lifted so long as I make sure I don’t fall on the elbow again. As I was getting ready to get back to running last Thursday, we got another round of late winter snow and ice. This time, I wisely decided to skip on the run. And that probably means that I am not cut out to be a streaker after all.

I have not given up entirely though. For now, Roocha- the blog and the sport- is back. The next attempt on streaking will not be too far behind.

Rest In Peace

So much to write about, but so little time to do it. I owe you a recap of why it has been so quiet at Roocha recently, but I had to make a quick post right now...

In the past I had written a piece about how little homage is paid to the Ethiopia's legendary runners who have brought so much recognition to the country. It appears now that some think they don't even deserve to rest in peace. Several days ago I read on one blog about the desecration of Abebe Bikila's and Mamo Wolde's statutes at their grave site. I could not tell if this was indeed true or if it was a sick joke by the writer. Now other sources are reporting this news and it appears that the unimaginable has indeed taken place.

It is little comfort that at least Abebe still has an annual award named after him here in the US and Mamo has a monument honoring him in Spain. But I must ask, have we no shame? Have we no respect, not even for the dead??