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| Sport | Athletics |
|---|---|
| Abbreviation | EAF |
| Founded | 4 June 1961 |
| Affiliation | World Athletics |
| Location | Addis Ababa, Ethiopia |
| President | Sileshi Sihine |
| Vice president(s) | Gezahegne Abera |
| Secretary | Bililign Mekoya Workneh |
| Official website | |
| eaf | |
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Ethiopian Athletic Federation (EAF) is an WA recognized member officially representing Ethiopia as the national governing body for the sport of Athletics.
The history of the sport may be traced back to military and school organizations in 1897. The organization was formed on 4 June 1961. [1] The ability of East African athletes was announced to the world in the 1960 Olympics as barefooted Abebe Bikila took the gold medal in the Marathon. Bikila repeated in 1964 and the floodgates were opened. Ethiopia has captured 45 Olympic medals, all of them in long distance running through 2012, despite participating in three Olympic boycotts. The organization is also responsible for selecting representatives to other world championship events.
In November 2016, former Olympic gold medalist and Ethiopian long distance running great Haile Gebrselassie was elected president of the Ethiopian Athletics Federation. [2] On 14 November 2018, double Olympic champion Derartu Tulu succeeded Haile Gebrselassie as president of EAF. [3] On 22 December 2024, following an abysmal performance at the 2024 Paris Olympics under Derartu Tulu's leadership, two-time Olympic silver medalist Sileshi Sihine was elected president of the Ethiopian Athletics Federation, replacing Tulu.
Ethiopia's kits are currently supplied by Adidas.
Kenenisa Bekele Beyecha is an Ethiopian long-distance runner. He was the world record holder in both the 5,000-metre and 10,000-metre from 2004 until 2020. He won the gold medal in both the 5,000 m and 10,000 m events at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. At the 2004 Olympics, he won the gold medal in the 10,000 m and the silver medal in the 5,000 m.
Paul Kibii Tergat is a Kenyan former professional long distance runner. He became the first Kenyan man to set the world record in the marathon in 2003, with a time of 2:04:55, and is regarded as one of the most accomplished long-distance runners of all time. Runnerworld called him the "Most comprehensive runner of all time".
Haile Gebrselassie is an Ethiopian former long-distance track, road running athlete, and businessman. He won two Olympic gold medals and four World Championship titles over the 10,000 metres. Haile triumphed in the Berlin Marathon four times consecutively and also had three straight wins at the Dubai Marathon. He also earned four world titles indoors and was the 2001 World Half Marathon Champion.
Shambel Abebe Bikila was an Ethiopian marathon runner who was a back-to-back Olympic marathon champion. He was the first Ethiopian Olympic gold medalist, winning his first gold medal at the 1960 Summer Olympics in Rome while running barefoot. At the 1964 Tokyo Olympics, he won his second gold medal, making him the first athlete to successfully defend an Olympic marathon title. In both victories, he ran in world record time.
Derartu Tulu NL COL is an Ethiopian former long-distance runner, who competed in track, cross country running, and road running up to the marathon distance.
Tirunesh Dibaba is an Ethiopian long distance runner athlete who competes in long-distance track events and international road races. She has won three Olympic track gold medals, five World Championship track gold medals, four individual World Cross Country (WCC) adult titles, and one individual WCC junior title. Tirunesh was the 5,000 metres world record holder until 2020. She is nicknamed the "baby-faced destroyer."
Sileshi Sihine is an Ethiopian retired long-distance runner.
Ejegayehu Dibaba Keneni is an Ethiopian long-distance runner. She won the silver medal in the 10,000 metres at the 2004 Athens Olympics. Ejegayehu earned bronze medals in the 5,000 metres and 10,000 metres events at the 2005 World Championships in Athletics. She took gold medals in the 10,000 m at the 2003 Afro-Asian Games and All-Africa Games.
Fatuma Roba is an Ethiopian long-distance runner, best known for being the first African woman to win a gold medal in the women's Olympic marathon race, at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, and for winning three successive Boston Marathons.
Ayelech Worku is an Ethiopian long-distance runner, most known for winning two World Championships bronze medals on the 5000 metres. She was born in the Arsi Zone of the Oromia province, the same region as double Olympic champion Haile Gebrselassie.
The official results of the Women's 10,000 metres at the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona, Spain, with the final held on Friday August 7, 1992. Derartu Tulu became the first black African woman to win an Olympic Gold medal.
Tsegaye Kebede Wordofa is an Ethiopian long-distance runner who competes in road running events, including marathons. He quickly rose to become a prominent distance runner after his international debut at the Amsterdam Marathon in 2007. In his second year of professional running, he won the Paris Marathon, the Fukuoka Marathon and the marathon bronze medal at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
Sports in Ethiopia include many fields, although Ethiopia is best known internationally for its middle-distance and long-distance runners. Seifu Mekonnen was an Olympic contestant for Ethiopia in boxing. The Ethiopian national football team won the 1962 African Cup of Nations. There are also traditional sports events, such as stick fighting which is popular amongst the Surma and Nyangatom people.
The 10,000 metres at the Summer Olympics is the longest track running event held at the multi-sport event. The men's 10,000 m has been present on the Olympic athletics programme since 1912. The women's event was added to the programme over seventy years later, at the 1988 Olympics. It is the most prestigious 10,000 m race at elite level. The competition format is a straight final between around 30 athletes, although prior to 2004 a qualifying round was held.
Negussie Roba, also known as Roba Negousse and Robba Neggousse, was an Ethiopian sprinter and coach. A two-time Olympian, he was one of the first representatives from his country at the games and later became regarded as one of the country's best athletics coaches.
Dr. Woldemeskel Kostre was an Ethiopian long distance running coach. He was known for coaching such Olympic champions as Haile Gebreselassie, Kenenisa Bekele, Gebre-Egziabher Gebremariam, Tirunesh Dibaba and Derartu Tulu. While coaching he earned a reputation of being a disciplinarian and authoritarian with athletes working under him constantly being pushed to their limits resulting in many world records being set under his watch. He was the recipient of the 2006 IAAF Coaches' Award.
The 1994 IAAF World Road Relay Championships was the second edition of the global, international marathon relay competition, organised by the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF). The event took place on 16–17 April on a 5-kilometre circuit in Litochoro, Greece with the participation of 240 athletes from 23 nations. The women's race took place on Saturday 16 April and the men's race took place on Sunday 17 April.
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