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Kenenisa Bekele

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Kenenisa Bekele is one of the greatest long-distance runners in history.

Kenenisa Bekele - Smiling
Kenenisa Bekele - Smiling

He is famous for his amazing skill in many different types of racing. He has competed on tracks, on roads, and in cross country races. Cross country means running on natural ground like grass instead of a flat track. Many people believe he is the best distance runner of all time. His many wins and records show how much talent he has. He brings great pride to his home country of Ethiopia.

One of Kenenisa's special skills is his finishing kick. This means he can run very fast at the very end of a long race. In the 2008 Beijing Olympics, he used this skill to win gold medals. He won the 10,000 m race with a time of 27:01.17. He also won the 5,000 m race by a large margin. In that race, he did most of the pacing himself. He then sped up to finish with a very fast final lap.

Kenenisa Bekele running
Kenenisa Bekele running

Kenenisa grew up in a small town called Bekoji in Ethiopia.

Kenenisa Bekele Berlin 2009
Kenenisa Bekele Berlin 2009

His parents worked hard as barley farmers to support their family. He grew up with three brothers and two sisters. His family followed Ethiopian Orthodox Christianity. At first, he wanted to study medicine or become a teacher. A physical education teacher encouraged him to train seriously in running. He looked up to great runners like Haile Gebrselassie for inspiration.

His career is filled with many amazing numbers and records.

Men's 10000m Final - 2012 Olympics - 4
Men's 10000m Final - 2012 Olympics - 4

He held world records for the 5,000 m and 10,000 m for many years. In the World Cross Country Championships, he won 11 individual gold medals. He earned a total of 27 medals in those championships. In 2014, he won the Paris Marathon in a very fast time. Later, in 2016, he won the Berlin Marathon in 2:03:03. He won the Berlin Marathon again in 2019 with a time of 2:01:41.

Kenenisa Bekele 2014 Paris Marathon t084500
Kenenisa Bekele 2014 Paris Marathon t084500

Kenenisa's success has helped his family in many ways. The money he earned from running allowed him to buy a house. He also used his earnings to pay for his siblings' education. His success in sports links him to other famous Ethiopian runners. Many great athletes also come from his hometown of Bekoji. He has reached the highest levels of sport in many different ways. His life shows how hard work and talent can change everything.

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🖼️ Images & Media (6)
File:Kenenisa Bekele - Smiling.jpg
Kenenisa Bekele - Smiling.jpg
File:Kenenisa Bekele running.jpg
Kenenisa Bekele running.jpg
File:Kenenisa Bekele Berlin 2009.jpg
Kenenisa Bekele Berlin 2009.jpg
File:Men's 10000m Final - 2012 Olympics - 4.jpg
Men's 10000m Final - 2012 Olympics - 4.jpg
File:Kenenisa Bekele 2014 Paris Marathon t084500.jpg
Kenenisa Bekele 2014 Paris Marathon t084500.jpg
File:5000 m men final Berlin 2009.jpg
5000 m men final Berlin 2009.jpg
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