Werknesh Kidane
Encyclopedia
Werknesh Kidane (born November 21, 1981), is an Ethiopian
long distance running
athlete who competes in both 5000
and 10,000 metres. She has won numerous medals at the IAAF World Cross Country Championships
and represented Ethiopia at the Summer Olympics in 2000
and 2004
. She was the silver medallist at the 2005 World Championships in Athletics
and a gold medallist at the 2003 IAAF World Cross Country Championships
.
She was born in the historic town of Maychew
, Tigray
, and her first international title came at the 1999 IAAF World Cross Country Championships
where she topped the podium in the junior race. She made her Olympic debut as a teenager and came seventh in the 5000 m final at the 2000 Sydney Olympics. She won the 2002 Great Ethiopian Run
and came second in the short race at the 2002 IAAF World Cross Country Championships
.
Werknesh began her 2003 season with a win at the Antrim International Cross Country
and then went on to take the women's long race title at the 2003 IAAF World Cross Country Championships
. She won the silver medal
in the 10,000 m at the 2003 All-Africa Games
, finishing behind fellow Ethiopian Ejegayehu Dibaba
. Her season peaked at the 2003 World Championships in Athletics
where she set a 10,000 m personal best of 30:07.15 minutes to secure the runner-up position behind Ethiopian veteran Berhane Adere
who broke the African record
for the event. The following year she came fourth in the event at the 2004 Athens Olympics. She also won the long race bronze medal at the 2004 IAAF World Cross Country Championships
, as well as taking fourth in the short race.
She had a success campaign on the 2004/05 cross country circuit in Spain, winning in Soria
, Valle de Llodio
and Seville
. At the 2005 IAAF World Cross Country Championships
she took second place in the short race and third in the long race, taking the team titles with Tirunesh Dibaba
in both races. She took part in the 2005 World Championships in Athletics
but could not repeat her podium feat of two years earlier, finishing in sixth in the 10,000 m.
Werknesh returned to international competition after a long break at the 2010 IAAF World Cross Country Championships
and came in ninth place in the senior race. She made her first top-level road race
attempt at the 2010 Great Manchester Run
and won with a personal best time of 32:31 minutes. She ran at the NYRR New York Mini 10K in June 2010, and finished in third place behind Kenyans Linet Masai
and Emily Chebet
. She continued on the US road circuit with a performance at the Philadelphia Half Marathon, where she was third in a time of 1:08:30.
She made her marathon debut in the 2011 Boston Marathon
, where she placed 7th with a time of 2:26:15.
She lives in Addis Ababa
, the capital of Ethiopia, and her parents live in Axum
, Tigray. She stands 1.58 m / 5'2" tall and is coached by Kassu Alemayehu and Dr Woldemeskel Kostre when she is running for the Ethiopian National Team. Her manager is Mark Wetmore of Global Athletics & Marketing
. Werknesh is married to Gebregziabher Gebremariam.
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...
long distance running
Long-distance track event
Long-distance track event races require runners to balance their energy. These types of races are predominantly aerobic in nature and at the highest level, exceptional levels of aerobic endurance is required more than anything else...
athlete who competes in both 5000
5000 metres
The 5000 metres is a popular running distance also known as 5 km or 5K in American English. It is one of the track events in the Olympic Games and the World Championships in Athletics. "5000 metres" refers to racing on a track and "5K" usually refers to a roadrace or cross country event...
and 10,000 metres. She has won numerous medals 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...
and represented Ethiopia at the Summer Olympics in 2000
2000 Summer Olympics
The Sydney 2000 Summer Olympic Games or the Millennium Games/Games of the New Millennium, officially known as the Games of the XXVII Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event which was celebrated between 15 September and 1 October 2000 in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia...
and 2004
2004 Summer Olympics
The 2004 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the Games of the XXVIII Olympiad, was a premier international multi-sport event held in Athens, Greece from August 13 to August 29, 2004 with the motto Welcome Home. 10,625 athletes competed, some 600 more than expected, accompanied by 5,501 team...
. She was the silver medallist at the 2005 World Championships in Athletics
2005 World Championships in Athletics
The 10th World Championships in Athletics, under the auspices of the International Association of Athletics Federations , were held in the Olympic Stadium, Helsinki, Finland , the site of the first IAAF World Championships in 1983. One theme of the 2005 championships was paralympic sports, some of...
and a gold medallist at the 2003 IAAF World Cross Country Championships
2003 IAAF World Cross Country Championships
The 31st IAAF World Cross Country Championships were held 29-30 March 2003 in Lausanne and Avenches , Switzerland.- Individual :- Team :- Individual :- Team :- Individual :- Team :- Individual :- Team :...
.
She was born in the historic town of Maychew
Maychew
Maychew is a town in northern Ethiopia. Located 190 kilometers north of Dessie on the Addis Ababa - Asmara highway in the Debubawi Zone of the Tigray Region, this town has a latitude and longitude of and an elevation of 2479 meters...
, Tigray
Tigray Province
Tigray was a province of Ethiopia. The Tigray Region superseded the province with the adoption of the new constitution in 1995. The province of Tigre merged with its neighboring provinces, including Semien, Tembien, Agame and the prominent Enderta province and towards the end of 19th century it...
, and her first international title came at the 1999 IAAF World Cross Country Championships
1999 IAAF World Cross Country Championships
The 27th IAAF World Cross Country Championships were held 27-28 March 1999 in Belfast, Northern Ireland.- Individual :- Team :- Individual :- Team :- Individual :- Team :- Individual :- Team :- Individual :- Team :- Individual :...
where she topped the podium in the junior race. She made her Olympic debut as a teenager and came seventh in the 5000 m final at the 2000 Sydney Olympics. She won the 2002 Great Ethiopian Run
Great Ethiopian Run
The Great Ethiopian Run is an annual 10-kilometre road running event which takes place in late November in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.The competition was first envisioned by neighbors Ethiopian runner Haile Gebrselassie, Peter Middlebrook and Abi Masefield in late October 2000, following Haile's return...
and came second in the short race at the 2002 IAAF World Cross Country Championships
2002 IAAF World Cross Country Championships
The 30th IAAF World Cross Country Championships were held 23-24 March 2002 in Dublin, Republic of Ireland.- Individual :- Team :- Individual :- Team :- Individual :- Team :- Individual :- Team :- Individual :- Team :...
.
Werknesh began her 2003 season with a win at the Antrim International Cross Country
Antrim International Cross Country
The Antrim International Cross Country, formerly the Belfast International Cross Country, is an annual cross country running meeting which takes place every January in Antrim, Northern Ireland. It is one of the IAAF's cross country permit meetings, as well as being part of the UK Cross Challenge tour...
and then went on to take the women's long race title at the 2003 IAAF World Cross Country Championships
2003 IAAF World Cross Country Championships
The 31st IAAF World Cross Country Championships were held 29-30 March 2003 in Lausanne and Avenches , Switzerland.- Individual :- Team :- Individual :- Team :- Individual :- Team :- Individual :- Team :...
. She won the silver medal
Silver medal
A silver medal is a medal awarded to the second place finisher of contests such as the Olympic Games, Commonwealth Games, and contests with similar formats....
in the 10,000 m at the 2003 All-Africa Games
Athletics at the 2003 All-Africa Games
-Track:-Field:-Track:-Field:-Medal table:-External links:*...
, finishing behind fellow Ethiopian Ejegayehu Dibaba
Ejegayehu Dibaba
Ejegayehu Dibaba is an Ethiopian long-distance runner.She is a member of the Oromo ethnic group from the high-altitude Arsi Zone of the Oromia Region. She is the third child of six, her younger sisters Tirunesh and Genzebe are also international long distance athletes, and brother Dejene is marked...
. Her season peaked at the 2003 World Championships in Athletics
2003 World Championships in Athletics
The 9th World Championships in Athletics, under the auspices of the International Association of Athletics Federations, were held from 23 August to 31 August 2003 in the Stade de France in Saint-Denis, Seine-Saint-Denis, France.-Track:...
where she set a 10,000 m personal best of 30:07.15 minutes to secure the runner-up position behind Ethiopian veteran Berhane Adere
Berhane Adere
Berhane Adere is an athlete from Ethiopia.Adere held the African record for 10,000 metres in a time of 30:04.18, set at the 2003 World Championships, where she won gold...
who broke the African record
African records in athletics
African records in athletics are the best marks set in a track and field and road running events by an athlete who competes for a member nation of the Confederation of African Athletics . The organisation is responsible for ratification and it analyses each record before approving it...
for the event. The following year she came fourth in the event at the 2004 Athens Olympics. She also won the long race bronze medal at the 2004 IAAF World Cross Country Championships
2004 IAAF World Cross Country Championships
The 32nd IAAF World Cross Country Championships were held 19-20 March 2004 in Brussels, the capital of Belgium.- Individual :- Team :- Individual :- Team :- Individual :- Team :- Individual :- Team :- Individual :- Team :...
, as well as taking fourth in the short race.
She had a success campaign on the 2004/05 cross country circuit in Spain, winning in Soria
Cross Internacional de Soria
The Cross Internacional de Soria, also known as the Campo a Través Internacional de Soria, is an annual cross country running competition that takes place in Soria, Spain. First held in 1994, it usually takes place in late November and gained IAAF cross country permit meeting status in 2007...
, Valle de Llodio
Cross Internacional Valle de Llodio
The Cross Internacional Valle de Llodio is an annual cross country running competition that takes place in Llodio in the Basque Country, Spain around late November. The event was first held in February 1985 and changed to an end-of-year competition soon after, holding its second edition in December...
and Seville
Cross Internacional de Itálica
The Cross Internacional de Itálica is an annual cross country running competition that is held every January in Santiponce, near Seville, Spain. Inaugurated in 1982, the race course is set in the ruins of the ancient Roman city of Itálica...
. At the 2005 IAAF World Cross Country Championships
2005 IAAF World Cross Country Championships
The 33rd IAAF World Cross Country Championships were held 19-20 March 2005 in Saint-Étienne and Saint-Galmier , France.- Individual :- Team :- Individual :- Team :- Individual :- Team :- Individual :- Team :...
she took second place in the short race and third in the long race, taking the team titles with Tirunesh Dibaba
Tirunesh Dibaba
Tirunesh Dibaba also known as Tirunesh Dibaba Kenene is an Ethiopian long distance track athlete and the outdoor 5000 metres world record holder. She is the current Olympic 5000 metres and 10,000 metres champion...
in both races. She took part in the 2005 World Championships in Athletics
2005 World Championships in Athletics
The 10th World Championships in Athletics, under the auspices of the International Association of Athletics Federations , were held in the Olympic Stadium, Helsinki, Finland , the site of the first IAAF World Championships in 1983. One theme of the 2005 championships was paralympic sports, some of...
but could not repeat her podium feat of two years earlier, finishing in sixth in the 10,000 m.
Werknesh returned to international competition after a long break 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 in ninth place in the senior race. She made her first top-level road race
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...
attempt at the 2010 Great Manchester Run
Great Manchester Run
The Bupa Great Manchester Run is an annual 10 kilometre run through the streets in Manchester city centre, which was established in 2003. Usually held in mid-May, it is among the largest and most prestigious mass participation runs in the United Kingdom...
and won with a personal best time of 32:31 minutes. She ran at the NYRR New York Mini 10K in June 2010, and finished in third place behind Kenyans Linet Masai
Linet Masai
Linet Chepkwemoi Masai is a Kenyan long-distance runner who competes in track and cross country running events...
and Emily Chebet
Emily Chebet
Emily Chebet is a Kenyan long-distance runner who specializes in the 10,000 metres and cross country running...
. She continued on the US road circuit with a performance at the Philadelphia Half Marathon, where she was third in a time of 1:08:30.
She made her marathon debut in 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...
, where she placed 7th with a time of 2:26:15.
She lives in Addis Ababa
Addis Ababa
Addis Ababa is the capital city of Ethiopia...
, the capital of Ethiopia, and her parents live in Axum
Axum
Axum or Aksum is a city in northern Ethiopia which was the original capital of the eponymous kingdom of Axum. Population 56,500 . Axum was a naval and trading power that ruled the region from ca. 400 BC into the 10th century...
, Tigray. She stands 1.58 m / 5'2" tall and is coached by Kassu Alemayehu and Dr Woldemeskel Kostre when she is running for the Ethiopian National Team. Her manager is Mark Wetmore of Global Athletics & Marketing
Global Athletics & Marketing
Global Athletics & Marketing is a sports management firm specializing in athletics . Founded in 1993 by Cornell/Boston College Law School graduate Mark Wetmore, Global Athletics has grown to be one of the premier athletics management agencies in the world...
. Werknesh is married to Gebregziabher Gebremariam.