Dejene Berhanu wins the Great North Run (© Getty Images)
Addis Ababa, EthiopiaDejene Berhanu and Tessema Abshiro were among the principal winners at the 21st MOHA Addis Ababa Municipal Championships held over two days (1 & 2 January) at the Jan Meda Race Course.
Berhanu, who finished fifth in the Olympic 5000m final in Athens, beat his team-mate Maeregu Zewdu from the Prisons Sports Club to retain his 4km senior Municipal title, while Abshiro came from behind to win his third successive junior title.
In the other big race of the two-day programme, Etalemahu Kidane continued her impressive form with yet another win in the women’s 4km race.
4km Senior men - Berhanu makes hard work of defending title
The race of the championships pitted together three members of the Ethiopian team that took part in 4km short course race at last year’s 32nd IAAF World Cross Country Championships, and it was Dejene Berhanu, winner of October’s Great North Run in Newcastle, England, who took the honours winning in a time of 11:33.
But the Ethiopian Half Marathon record holder made winning this race extremely hard work after being left behind during a frantic start. Berhanu even had to make a dramatic sidestep to prevent clashing with a fallen runner, and generously held out a helping hand to pick him up and allow him to complete the race.
That incident gave a leading pack composed of Maeregu Zewde and Mohammed Awol the incentive to push forward, but the 24-year-old Berhanu slowly clawed himself back into the reckoning and eventually overtook the duo with five hundred metres to go to the finish line.
Zewde held on comfortably for second with Awol coming in third.
After the race, a delighted Berhanu said that he had not prepared for the race and was happy with the outcome. “I was preparing for the indoor season and suddenly, I was forced by my club coach to compete here with three days notice,” said Berhanu. “Therefore, I am happy about the outcome. I feel that I am getting better and better this year, correcting my mistakes and improving my finish.”
8km Junior men – Abshiro eyes future senior glory
In the 8km junior men’s race, the familiar figure of Tessema Abshiro arrived first at the finish in a time of 23:31. The 18-year old will now focus on preparations for his first senior cross country race at the 22nd Jan Meda International in February, the national selection meet for the 33rd IAAF World Cross Country Championships in St. Etienne/ St. Galmier.
Abshiro had been one of the most consistent performers at these championships over recent years taking the last two junior titles but like Berhanu, he found winning quite hard work, in his case having to beat off lesser known opponents.
With two kilometres left, little-known Habtamu Fekadu had opened up a sizable 200m lead over Abshiro and looked odds on for a shock victory. But the 18-year Addis Ababa native clawed his away back into the contest first leveling with his opponent with 500m to go, and then applying the potent sprint finish that had also marked his last two wins here. A tired Fekadu held on for second, while Alemayehu Geleta came in third.
Senior Women - Kidane a class apart in the 4km
There were lots of cheers from the crowd for African 5000m champion Etalemahu Kidane, who dominated the women’s 4km race from start to finish, taking a famous win in a time of 13:14.
The 22-year-old has been making steady progress up through the national ranks during the last two years highlighted by her victory over Berhane Adere in an Italian road race last September.
Cheers from big sister!
But the loudest cheer from the crowd came from Ethiopia’s Olympic 5000m champion Meseret Defar who saw her 14-year old sister Alemnesh Defar finish second in a separate youth 4km race held among the ten sub-cities of the Addis Ababa city Municipality (results of this race not given below).
Elshadai Negash for the IAAF
21st MOHA Addis Ababa Municipal Cross Country Championships Official Results
Saturday January 1st 2004
4km Senior
1. Dejene Berhanu (Prisons) 11.33
2. Maeregu Zewde (Prisons) 11.35
3. Mohammed Awol (Prisons) 11.45
6km First Division Clubs
1. Werkitu Ayano (Ethiopian Banks) 20.45
2. Belaynesh Fekadu (EEPCO) 20.47
3. Mestawot Tadesse (Ethiopian Banks) 20.52
8km First Division Clubs
1. Dure Tune (Omedla) 27.45
2. Ahazi Kiros (EEPCO) 27.47
3. Ashu Kasim (Prisons) 27.48
Sunday January 2nd 2004
8km First Division Clubs
1. Tessema Abshiro (Ethiopian Banks) 23.31
2. Habtamu Fekadu (Defence Sports Club) 23.34
3. Alemayehu Geleta (EEPCO) 23.38
4km First Division Clubs
1. Etalemahu Kidane (Omedla) 13.14
2. Derebe Alemu (Prisons) 13.16
3. Bizunesh Bekele (Ethiopian Banks) 13.18
12km First Division Clubs
1. Mesfin Haylu (Omedla) 35.56
2. Tewodros Shiferaw (Omedla) 36.01
3. Zenbaba Yegezu (Defence) 36.01
