Werknesh Kidane raises her hands in triumph as she wins the women's long course (© Getty Images)
In her first diary entry, Ethiopia’s World Cross Country champion Werknesh Kidane talks about qualifying for the World Championship 10,000m team at Stanford University in Palo Alto, California earlier this month. Her 30:41.40 is the fastest time this year, and she also led her compatriot Ejigayehu Dibaba to a 31:02.72 clocking, also well under the 31:45.00 entry standard.
“We went to California in search of qualifying times and I was happy that we succeeded. Our plan was to help one another to get those marks. We had trained well before going and we figured we could do well. We expected to both run under 31:41 or so, and it worked out great.
The fast times I’ve run prior to that were all 5000 metre times. I ran 14:43 in Berlin, in Germany, a year ago. But I haven’t run the 10,000 much. The best 10,000 metre time I had was an old one, that I ran in France. [31:43.41, 2001.] I’ve been running the 5000 metres most of the time.
I decided to run the 10,000 metres now because I want to have a go at it at the World Championships. The 5000m is good, too, but I’d just like to try the 10,000m, and see how it works out.
The California race went really well. The weather was pleasant -- it was very comfortable. I didn’t find the race too hard, and we both ran well, and both got the times we needed.
The other Ethiopian women who were going for 10,000 metre times this season are Berhane Adere – and she’s already got a good time – and Eyerusalem Kuma, who was trying to get one. And that’s basically it: Berhane, Derartu Tulu, Ejigayehu and Eyerus, who was trying to make it; and I guess it will all eventually work out according to God’s will. Derartu, of course, is automatically in. She’s invited back, because she’s the defending champion, while the other three of us have to be selected.
Berhane ran a good time recently when she competed in France around the time we were getting ready to leave for California. She ran 31:15. Eyerus was trying, but there aren’t many 10,000m races, that’s the problem. That’s why we went all the way to California, seeking a good 10,000. Apparently, fast times have often been run at the same venue.
There are many girls going for the Ethiopian 5000m team, like Meseret Defar, Tirunesh Dibaba, Merima Denboba, Sentayehu Ejigu, Ayelech Worku … a lot of women.
My training now is geared towards the 10,000 metres. We’ve been doing heavy training. In fact, pretty much the whole year, beginning from the cross country season, we haven’t let up.
When I’m not training with the national team, I work out with runners in my neighborhood. I live near the French Embassy in north-eastern Addis Ababa, and there are a few guys -- like Yibeltal Admassu, Lulseged Wale -- who live not far from me, and we work out together.
Now I’m running the 5,000 metres in Oslo. It’s taken me a while to settle back into my rhythm after returning from America, but I’m going to do my best. After Oslo, I may be running in Paris and Rome and some other places.
We’ll see how it goes!
Werknesh
