Berhane Adere wins the 10,000m final in Paris (© Getty Images)
Ethiopia’s Berhane Adere, the 2003 World champion and 2005 silver medallist at 10,000m, led her club side ‘Omedla Police’ to the women’s title at the Ethiopian Marathon Relay Championships held in Nazreth on Sunday (15).
The 32-year old, who will make her marathon debut at the London Marathon in April, kick started her season running the opening 5km leg for Omedla in a shock victory over favourites ‘Prisons Police’. Also helping Omedla to its first marathon relay title in five years were former World 10,000m champion Gete Wami and Etalemahu Kidane, who was the winner of the Belfast cross country International earlier this month.
In the men’s race, Dejene Berhanu, fifth in the Olympics 5000m in Athens, led his club ‘Prisons Police’ to an impressive victory over the ‘Defence Sports club’. The 25-year, who finished fourth in the Fukuoka international marathon on his debut in December last year, run the longest 10km leg in his club’s victory to ensure that they successfully defended the title they won last year.
In the regional competitions, there was shock for the Oromiya, a region considered by many as the breeding ground for distance running talent in Ethiopia. The Tigray and Benishangul-Gumuz regions won the women’s and men’s titles respectively.
Elshadai Negash for the IAAF
Ethiopian Marathon relay championships official results
Women
1. Omedla Police sports Club (2:30.26)
(Berhane Adere, Gete Wami, Etalemahu Kidane, Dure Tune, Genet Gebregiorgis, Mestawot Tufa)
2. Prisons Police sports club (2:30.43)
(Frehiwot Goshu, Adanech Zekiros, Makeda Haroun, Le’tay Negash, Zeytuna Arebo, Chaltu Girma)
3. Ethiopian Banks (2:32.08)
(Konjit Tilahun, Belaynesh Zemedkun, Gezashigne Wonde, Hirut Mengistu, Sofia Adlo, Emebet Batcha)
Men
1. Prisons Police sports club (2:10.30)
(Dagim Getenet, Dejene Berhanu, Gebo Burka, Tadesse Tola, Dereje Tadesse, Mohammed Awol)
2. Defense sports club (2:10.40)
(Ashenafu Kiros, Habtamu Fekadu, Tilahun Masreasha, Tariku Jufar, Ali Abdosh, Zenbaba Yegezu)
3. St. George sports club (2:11.41)
(Abraham Cherkose, Demissie Tsegaye, Lemi Feyissa, Lishan Yegezu, Kabtamu Reta, Solomon Tsege)
