Long-distance runner Kenenisa Bekele was born in Ethiopia on June 13, 1982. From 2004 (5,000m) and 2005 (10,000m) through 2020, he held the world records for the 5000- and 10000-meter runs. At the 2008 Summer Olympics, he won gold in the 5000 and 10,000 meter races. He won the 10,000 m gold medal and the 5000 m silver medal at the 2004 Summer Olympics. With six long (12 km) and five short (4 km) course titles, he is the most successful runner in the history of the IAAF World Cross Country Championships. He equaled Haile Gebrselassie’s record of four straight victories in the 10,000 m event at the World Championships in Athletics in 2009 by winning the event in 2003, 2005, 2007, and 2009. From the time of his debut in 2003 until his failure to finish the World Championships final in 2011, Kenenisa went unbeaten over 10,000 meters. He made history by winning both the 5000 m and 10,000 m titles at the 2009 World Championships in Athletics. He has also won two African Championship titles, a World Championship bronze medal (2003), an Olympic silver medal (2004), and a gold medal at the All-Africa Games. At the 2006 World Indoor Championships, he also took home the gold in the 3000 meter race. With his victory at the Paris Marathon on April 6, 2014, in a pace that set a course record of 2:05:04, he achieved the sixth fastest marathon debut ever on a course that was record-eligible. Kenenisa won the Berlin Marathon on September 25, 2016, clocking in at 2:03:03, a new personal best and the third-fastest marathon of all time. He won the Berlin Marathon once more on September 29, 2019, clocking in at 2:01:41, two seconds slower than the previous world record of 2:01:39 established by Eliud Kipchoge in the 2018 race. Many believe he is the best distance runner of all time based on his achievements in cross country, track, and road racing.
