Merima Mohammed
Encyclopedia
Merima Mohammed Hasen is an Ethiopia
n long-distance runner who competes in road running
events, including the marathon
. Her personal best of 2:23:06 hours for the distance makes her the second fastest teenager ever over the 42.195 km distance. She has won marathons in Düsseldorf, Nice and Ottawa. She represented Ethiopia at the IAAF World Cross Country Championships
in 2011.
was identified at an early age and, having gained representation with Elite Sports Management International, she began to compete on the European road race circuit at the age of sixteen. She was runner-up over 1500 metres
at the 2009 Ethiopian Middle Distance Championships in January. She was selected to represent her country over that distance at the 2009 World Youth Championships in Athletics
in July, but a trip in the final lap saw her go from the front of the pack to a twelfth place finish. She took on significantly longer distances soon after, winning a French 10K race and then coming fifth in the Lille Half Marathon
in September. She made her debut over the marathon
distance in November that year and won on her first attempt, being the first runner home at the Marathon des Alpes-Maritimes in a time of 2:33:56 hours.
Merima was chosen for the junior race at the 2010 IAAF World Cross Country Championships
and came twelfth, one place behind fellow Ethiopian teenager Genzebe Dibaba
. She ran at the Ethiopian Championships in May and set a personal best of 34:10.19 minutes for the 10,000 metres, coming in sixth place. Her second marathon win came soon after, as she defeated all opposition at the Ottawa Marathon. She spent four months resting and preparing for another outing in Canada. At the Toronto Waterfront Marathon
she finished in third place in a time of 2:23:06 hours – this was faster than the previous Canadian all-comers mark and made her the second fastest teenager ever over the distance, behind China's Zhang Yingying
. Representing the Federal Prisons team, she participated in the Ethiopian 30K Championships in November and outran Mamitu Daska
to claim the national title. At the Delhi Half Marathon that month she led throughout to the race, but was beaten at the line by Aselefech Mergia
in a tactical sprint finish. Nevertheless, she left the competition with a significant personal best of 1:08:36 hours for the distance.
The 2011 Mumbai Marathon
turned into a late race duel between Merima and her national rival Koren Jelila Yal. The winning time was the fastest ever in India, but it was Yal who won the race while Merima finished a single second behind with a final time of 2:26:57 hours. She decided to compete in the senior section of the Ethiopian cross country
championships and her sixth place finish gained her a place on the team for the 2011 IAAF World Cross Country Championships
, where she came fifteenth. She was invited to run at the 2011 Boston Marathon
but travel problems prevented her appearance. Still 18 years old, she took her third victory and her fourth marathon under the two-and-a-half-hour mark at the Düsseldorf Marathon
in May. She quickly built up a lead that she did not relinquish, although hot temperatures slowed her in the latter half of the race: "I am used to cooler conditions because I train at an altitude of around 2000 metres". She was back in action a month later at the World 10K Bangalore
, but she was pushed into the runner-up spot in the final metres by an Ethiopian rival yet again in India, this time by Dire Tune
.
Ethiopia
Ethiopia , officially known as the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. It is the second-most populous nation in Africa, with over 82 million inhabitants, and the tenth-largest by area, occupying 1,100,000 km2...
n long-distance runner who competes in road running
Road running
Road running is the sport of running on a measured course over an established road . These events would be classified as long distance according to athletics terminology, with distances typically ranging from 5 kilometers to 42.2 kilometers in the marathon. They may involve large numbers of runners...
events, including the marathon
Marathon
The marathon is a long-distance running event with an official distance of 42.195 kilometres , that is usually run as a road race...
. Her personal best of 2:23:06 hours for the distance makes her the second fastest teenager ever over the 42.195 km distance. She has won marathons in Düsseldorf, Nice and Ottawa. She represented Ethiopia at the IAAF World Cross Country Championships
IAAF World Cross Country Championships
IAAF World Cross Country Championships is the most important competition in international cross country running. Held annually and organised by International Association of Athletics Federations , it was inaugurated in 1973, when it replaced the International Cross Country Championships...
in 2011.
Career
Her talent for runningRunning
Running is a means of terrestrial locomotion allowing humans and other animals to move rapidly on foot. It is simply defined in athletics terms as a gait in which at regular points during the running cycle both feet are off the ground...
was identified at an early age and, having gained representation with Elite Sports Management International, she began to compete on the European road race circuit at the age of sixteen. She was runner-up over 1500 metres
1500 metres
The 1,500-metre run is the premier middle distance track event.Aerobic endurance is the biggest factor contributing to success in the 1500 metres but the athlete also requires significant sprint speed.In modern times, the 1,500-metre run has been run at a pace faster than the average person could...
at the 2009 Ethiopian Middle Distance Championships in January. She was selected to represent her country over that distance at the 2009 World Youth Championships in Athletics
2009 World Youth Championships in Athletics
The 2009 World Youth Championships in Athletics is the sixth edition of the World Youth Championships in Athletics. They were held in Brixen, Italy from 8–12 July 2009. Athletes must be aged 16 or 17 on 31 December 2009 to compete....
in July, but a trip in the final lap saw her go from the front of the pack to a twelfth place finish. She took on significantly longer distances soon after, winning a French 10K race and then coming fifth in the Lille Half Marathon
Lille Half Marathon
The Lille Métropole Half Marathon is an annual half marathon foot race which takes place in Lille, France in early September. First organised by the Association de Promotion des Événements Lillois in 1986, the race began as a marathon event before switching to the shorter distance in 1996...
in September. She made her debut over the marathon
Marathon
The marathon is a long-distance running event with an official distance of 42.195 kilometres , that is usually run as a road race...
distance in November that year and won on her first attempt, being the first runner home at the Marathon des Alpes-Maritimes in a time of 2:33:56 hours.
Merima was chosen for the junior race at the 2010 IAAF World Cross Country Championships
2010 IAAF World Cross Country Championships
The 2010 IAAF World Cross Country Championships were held at Myślęcinek Park in Bydgoszcz, Poland on 28 March 2010. It was the first time in over twenty years that Poland hosted the annual championships, having previously held them in Warsaw in 1987. Kenyan runners dominated the competition, taking...
and came twelfth, one place behind fellow Ethiopian teenager Genzebe Dibaba
Genzebe Dibaba
Genzebe Dibaba is an Ethiopian long-distance runner. She is the sister of World Champion Tirunesh Dibaba and Olympic silver medallist Ejegayehu Dibaba, and the cousin of former Olympic champion Derartu Tulu....
. She ran at the Ethiopian Championships in May and set a personal best of 34:10.19 minutes for the 10,000 metres, coming in sixth place. Her second marathon win came soon after, as she defeated all opposition at the Ottawa Marathon. She spent four months resting and preparing for another outing in Canada. At the Toronto Waterfront Marathon
Toronto Waterfront Marathon
The Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon is an annual marathon held in Toronto, Ontario, Canada on the last Sunday in September. Starting from 2011, the marathon will be held in October. The race day also includes a half marathon and 5 km race....
she finished in third place in a time of 2:23:06 hours – this was faster than the previous Canadian all-comers mark and made her the second fastest teenager ever over the distance, behind China's Zhang Yingying
Zhang Yingying
Zhang Yingying is a Chinese runner. At only 18 years she already qualified for the 2008 Summer Olympics to represent China at the 5.000m, 10.000m and the marathon.-Career highlights:Marathons-Personal bests:-External links:* *...
. Representing the Federal Prisons team, she participated in the Ethiopian 30K Championships in November and outran Mamitu Daska
Mamitu Daska
Mamitu Daska Molisa , also known as Mamitu Deska, is an Ethiopian long-distance runner who specialises in road running events, including the marathon. She is a two-time team silver medallist at the IAAF World Cross Country Championships...
to claim the national title. At the Delhi Half Marathon that month she led throughout to the race, but was beaten at the line by Aselefech Mergia
Aselefech Mergia
Aselefech Mergia Medessa is an Ethiopian long-distance runner.She began taking part in professional road races in 2006, starting with a seventh place finish at the Delhi Half Marathon....
in a tactical sprint finish. Nevertheless, she left the competition with a significant personal best of 1:08:36 hours for the distance.
The 2011 Mumbai Marathon
Mumbai Marathon
The Mumbai Marathon is an annual international road running competition over the marathon distance that is held in Mumbai, India, each January. The course records set in 2011 were also the fastest times ever run for the marathon on Indian soil – 2:09:54 by Girma Assefa and 2:26:56 by the women's...
turned into a late race duel between Merima and her national rival Koren Jelila Yal. The winning time was the fastest ever in India, but it was Yal who won the race while Merima finished a single second behind with a final time of 2:26:57 hours. She decided to compete in the senior section of the Ethiopian cross country
Cross country running
Cross country running is a sport in which people run a race on open-air courses over natural terrain. The course, typically long, may include surfaces of grass and earth, pass through woodlands and open country, and include hills, flat ground and sometimes gravel road...
championships and her sixth place finish gained her a place on the team for the 2011 IAAF World Cross Country Championships
2011 IAAF World Cross Country Championships
The 2011 IAAF World Cross Country Championships were held in Punta Umbría, Spain on 20 March 2011.-Preparation:The United States had expressed an interest in hosting the competition, but Punta Umbria was chosen as the host at the IAAF Council Meeting in November 2009...
, where she came fifteenth. She was invited to run at the 2011 Boston Marathon
2011 Boston Marathon
The 2011 Boston Marathon took place on Monday, April 18, 2011. Geoffrey Mutai of Kenya won the men's race in a time of 2:03:02. In recognizing Mutai's mark as the "fastest Marathon ever run", the International Association of Athletics Federations noted that the performance was not eligible for...
but travel problems prevented her appearance. Still 18 years old, she took her third victory and her fourth marathon under the two-and-a-half-hour mark at the Düsseldorf Marathon
Düsseldorf Marathon
The Düsseldorf Marathon is an annual marathon race in Düsseldorf, Germany in early May.Organised by Jan-Henning Winschermann , the race was first held in 2003....
in May. She quickly built up a lead that she did not relinquish, although hot temperatures slowed her in the latter half of the race: "I am used to cooler conditions because I train at an altitude of around 2000 metres". She was back in action a month later at the World 10K Bangalore
World 10K Bangalore
The World 10K Bangalore is an annual 10 kilometres road running competition which takes place in Bangalore, India. The competition was first held in 2008 and usually takes place in late May...
, but she was pushed into the runner-up spot in the final metres by an Ethiopian rival yet again in India, this time by Dire Tune
Dire Tune
Dire Tune is an Ethiopian long-distance runner.Tune competed in the marathon at the 2005 World Championships. At the 2006 World Road Running Championships she finished fourth in the individual competition. This was good enough to help Ethiopia win a silver medal in the team competition.On April 21,...
.