Team Ethiopia Announced for World Athletics Road Running Championships
Nineteen middle distance runners are named in the Team Ethiopia for the inaugural World Athletics Road Running Championships Riga 23.
The global titles in the road mile, 5km, and half marathon are up for grabs together at one Championship in the Latvian capital on 1 October.
Team Ethiopia participates in all of the men’s and women’s disciplines. A total of 19 athletes – 10 women and 9 men – have been confirmed to partake in championships, per the WA.
The world 1500m silver medallist Diribe Welteji will run in road mile alongside Freweyni Hailu and Hirut Meshesha.
They will be up against Kenya’s multiple world and Olympic champion Faith Kipyegon who makes her road race debut.
Ethiopia will be represented by two athletes in men’s mile race: the 2019 World cross country mixed relay champion Teddese Lemi and World U20 3000m champion Melkeneh Azize.
The 5km mixed race world record-holder Ejgayehu Taye is in the women’s 5km squad which also includes Medina Eisa and Lemlem Hailu
The world record-holder Berihu Aregawi is named for men’s 5km alongside two-time world indoor 3000m champion Yomif Kejelcha.
Berihu set his record of 12:49 in Barcelona on the final day of 2021 – at the same event where Ejgayehu set her record mark of 14:19.
In the half marathon, both Kenya’s Peres Jepchirchir and Uganda’s Jacob Kiplimo will defend their titles against top fields. Four Ethiopians will challenge Jepchirchir including the world cross-country silver medallist Tsigie Gebreselama.’
Jemal Yimer Mekonnen, Dinkalem Ayele, Nibret Melak, and Tsegay Kidanu will also represent Ethiopia in the men’s half marathon.
An action-packed day of elite racing will see a total of 347 athletes from 57 teams compete in the Latvian capital.
“This is the first time we have staged an event that celebrates road running in all its guises, from the elite runners, to dedicated recreational runners, to runners who are just starting out, including the kids,” World Athletics (WA) President Sebastian Coe said.
Ethiopian team for Riga
WOMEN
5 Kilometers: Medina Eisa, Lemlem Hailu, Ejgayehu Taye
Half Marathon: Mestawut Fikir, Tsigie Gebreselama, Yalemget Yaregal, Ftaw Zeray
Mile Road: Freweyni Hailu, Hirut Meshesha, and Diribe Welteji
MEN
5 Kilometers: Berihu Aregawi, Hagos Gebrehiwet, and Yomif Kejelcha
Half Marathon: Dinkalem Ayele, Nibret Melak, Tsegay Kidanu, and Jemal Yimer Mekonnen.
Mile Road: Melkeneh Azize and Teddese Lemi