Lelisa Desisa

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Lelisa Desisa
Lelisa Desisa Benti boston marathon 2013.jpg
Lelisa Desisa Benti, male winner of 2013 Boston Marathon almost at the end of the Wellesley College scream tunnel.
Personal information
Nationality Ethiopian
Born (1990-01-14) 14 January 1990 (age 34)
Oromia, Ethiopia, Africa
Sport
Sport Running
Event(s) Long distance
Medal record
Men's athletics
Representing  Ethiopia
World Championships
Silver medal – second place 2013 Moscow Marathon
All-Africa Games
Gold medal – first place 2011 Maputo Half marathon

Lelisa Desisa Benti (born 14 January 1990) is an Ethiopian long-distance runner who specialises in road running competitions. He gained his first international medal at the 2009 African Junior Athletics Championships, where he took the 10,000 metres gold medal.[1]

Biography

Born in Shewa zone, Oromia regional state of Ethiopia,[2] Lelisa made his breakthrough on to the senior international scene at road races in 2010, beginning with a sub-60 minute run for third place at the Zayed International Half Marathon in January.[3] He engaged Wilson Kiprop in a sprint finish at the Paris Half Marathon two months later, ending up in second place.[4] He took to the United States road circuit and was sixth at the Crescent City Classic before taking the runner-up spot at the Cherry Blossom Ten Mile Run behind Stephen Tum.[5][6] He won the Ottawa 10K in May and led an Ethiopian podium sweep with a win at the Bolder Boulder two days later.[7][8] That July, he came third in a sprint for the line at the Peachtree Road Race and won the Boilermaker Road Race in Utica in a near course record time.[9] He received his first senior international call-up for the 2010 IAAF World Half Marathon Championships. He came seventh overall, recording a time of 1:01:28 alongside his compatriot Birhanu Bekele to secure the team bronze medal for the Ethiopians.[10] He set a new half marathon best (59:39 minutes) in November at the Delhi Half Marathon and finished one second behind winner Geoffrey Mutai.[11]

He came close to a personal best at the World's Best 10K in February 2011, taking third place in a time of 28:02 minutes.[12] This served as preparation for the City-Pier-City Loop in March, where he came out on top in a five-man sprint finish to record a personal best of 59:37 minutes for the half marathon.[13] In a two-day period he won the Cooper River Bridge Run and then broke the course record at the Cherry Blossom 10-Miler, improving upon a mark which had stood for 16 years.[14] That June he reached the podium at the World 10K Bangalore, coming third behind Kenyan opposition.[15] He was not selected for the World Championships that year, but instead won the half marathon at the 2011 All-Africa Games held that same month. In November he returned to Delhi and ran a best of 59:30 minutes to win the half marathon race, beating Geoffrey Kipsang by a second.[16]

In June 2012 he ran a personal best of 27:18.17 minutes to win the 10,000 metres in Liège. He was selected as an Olympic squad reserve as a result.[17] A 5000 metres best of 13:22.91 minutes came in June, but ultimately he did not compete at the Olympics. He tried to defend his title at the Delhi Half Marathon but managed only seventh place.[18]

In his debut over the marathon distance, he made one of the fastest ever debuts by winning the 2013 Dubai Marathon in a time of 2:04:45 hours. He was surprised by the quick time and said he would like to make a world record attempt in the future.[2] Three months later, in the 2013 Boston Marathon, he took the victory in a time of 2:10:22. Desisa was not hurt in the Boston Marathon bombing that occurred after his victory.[19] Desisa later, in a widely acclaimed gesture, returned his 2013 Boston Marathon winner medal back to the city, in order to honor the victims of the bombings.[20]

File:2016 Boston Marathon lead men at mile 19.jpg
Lelisa Desisa leads Lemi Berhanu Hayle as they pass mile 19 during the 2016 Boston Marathon, but Hayle went on to win; Desisa came in second.

Desisa won the 2015 Boston Marathon on April 20, 2015 with a time of 2:09:17.[21] He came in second in 2016 to fellow Ethiopian Lemi Berhanu Hayle.

Personal bests

References

  1. ↑ Ouma, Mark (2009-07-31). African Junior champs, Day 2. IAAF. Retrieved on 2010-11-27.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Butcher, Pat (2013-01-25). Debutant Desisa wins Dubai Marathon in 2:04:45, five men under 2:05. IAAF. Retrieved on 2013-02-23.
  3. ↑ Zorzi, Alberto (2010-01-08). Fast wins for Keitany and Regassa in Abu Dhabi Half. IAAF. Retrieved on 2010-11-27.
  4. ↑ Vazel, Pierre Jean (2010-03-07). Beating the wind and chill, Kiprop and Bayisa take Paris Half wins. IAAF. Retrieved on 2010-11-27.
  5. ↑ Lelisa Desisa Profile. Elite Sports Management. Retrieved on 2010-11-27.
  6. ↑ Hage, Jim (2010-04-12). Tum, Chepkurui are Cherry Blossom winners. Washington Post. Retrieved on 2010-11-27.
  7. ↑ Desisa and Tune take Ottawa 10Km titles. IAAF (2010-05-30). Retrieved on 2010-11-27.
  8. ↑ Stapleton, Arnie (2010-05-31). Ethiopian men finish 1-2-3 in Bolder Boulder. USA Today. Retrieved on 2010-11-27.
  9. ↑ Post race interview with Boilermaker 15K Men’s winner Lelisa Desisa. WKTV (2010-07-10). Retrieved on 2010-11-27.
  10. ↑ Ramsak, Bob (2010-10-16). Kiprop dethrones Tadese - Men’s Race – Nanning 2010. IAAF. Retrieved on 2010-11-27.
  11. ↑ Murali, Ram. Krishnan (2010-11-21). Mergia recaptures women’s crown, Mutai foils Ethiopian sweep at Delhi Half Marathon. IAAF. Retrieved on 2010-11-27.
  12. ↑ Clavelo Robinson, Javier (2011-02-28). Kitwara regains title, Ejigu notches victorious 10km debut in San Juan. IAAF. Retrieved on 2011-03-01.
  13. ↑ van Hemert, Wim (2011-03-14). Desisa and Chepcirchir take fast Half Marathon wins in The Hague. IAAF. Retrieved on 2011-03-17.
  14. ↑ Ethiopian Lelisa Desisa wins Cherry Blossom 10 Mile Run. Ethiosun. Retrieved on 2011-05-14.
  15. ↑ Krishnan, Ram. Murali (2011-06-05). Limo and Tune prevail in Bangalore 10Km. IAAF. Retrieved on 2011-06-05.
  16. ↑ Krishnan, Ram. Murali (2011-11-27). In close races, Desisa and Kabuu prevail in New Delhi Half. IAAF. Retrieved on 2011-11-27.
  17. ↑ Hendrix, Ivo (2012-07-06). Rotich 1:43.62, Desisa Benti 27:18.17 in Liège. IAAF. Retrieved on 2012-07-09.
  18. ↑ Krishnan, Ram. Murali (2012-09-30). Kipyego, Wude take honours in Delhi - REPORT. IAAF. Retrieved on 2013-02-23.
  19. ↑ AP via USA Today: Lelisa Desisa, Rita Jeptoo win Boston Marathon
  20. ↑ NYT: His Win Obscured, Runner Left Mark Off the Course
  21. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.

External links

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