Gelete Burka Bati is an Ethiopian long-distance and middle-distance runner who was born on January 23, 1986. She was born in the same district as double Olympic winner Haile Gebrselassie, Kofele, in the Arsi Zone of the Oromia Region. At the 2006 IAAF World Cross Country Championships, Gelete won the short course title. She has won three medals at the IAAF World Indoor Championships, with her greatest showing coming in 2008 when she took home the gold in the 1500 m. She competed in the World Championships in Athletics four times (from 2005 to 2011) and represented Ethiopia in the 2008 and 2012 Olympics. Burka’s first noteworthy accomplishment was taking home the bronze in the junior division at the 2003 IAAF World Cross Country Championships. Later that year, Burka made her debut in senior athletics when she won the women’s race at the Lotto Cross Cup Brussels when Merima Denboba was disqualified by the Ethiopian federation. The next year, she went back to Belgium and did it again. She competed at the 2005 World Championships in Athletics and placed eighth in the 1500-meter race after winning the junior world championship in cross-country running at the World XC Championships. At the World Athletics Final a month later, she took home the bronze in the 3000-meter event.
