Berhane Adere (ETH) wins the 2006 women's BUPA Great Manchester Run 10km (© Peter Langdown)
Ethiopia’s former World Half Marathon and 10,000m champion Berhane Adere has been included in the country’s strong team of ten athletes for the inaugural IAAF World Road Running Championships in Debrecen, Hungary, 8 October 2006.
But there are no changes to the men’s team preliminarily announced last Sunday (27 Aug) based on the results of the trials.
‘On the road to Debrecen’ - Merga and Tuné take Ethiopian 20km titles
WOMEN - Adere’s experience to compliment young squad
In the women’s team, Adere, who did not take part in the qualifying trials held in Sululta on Sunday, joins the squad based on her excellent road running career and form. In May, the 33-year old smashed the Ethiopian 10km record when winning the Great Manchester Run a month after breaking the four-year old Ethiopian marathon record when finishing fourth in the Flora London Marathon in April.
A former champion and silver medallist of the World Half Marathon Championships, Adere has a 15km best of 47.48, and half marathon best of 67:32.
Adere’s inclusion means there is no place in the squad for former Dubai Marathon champion Mulu Seboka.
Rotterdam marathon champion Gishu Mendaye, who finished fifth in the women’s trails, has also been drafted into the Debrecen squad. The 24-year old, who will also take part in the Rotterdam Half Marathon on 10 September will make her international debut over 20kms.
Dure Tunè, winner of the trails last Sunday, is also expected to provide strong competition to both Adere and Mendaye. Tune, who finished third in this year’s Country Music Marathon in the US, has already set herself high standards of achievement in Debrecen.
“I want to travel there and win the race,” she said after winning trails. “I trained the whole Ethiopian winter (European summer) for the trails and then the World (Road Running Championships.”
Also included in the squad is former World Cross Country long course bronze medallist Teyiba Erkesso, who has run in two editions of the World Half Marathon Championships, adds experience to the squad made complete by the inclusion of youngster Ashu Kassim.
MEN – Merga, the new Ethiopian road running find?
The men’s squad is led by trails winner Deriba Merga, who could be ready to carry his impressive domestic form onto the international scene.
Merga burst on the domestic scene last year when he finished an impressive third in the 2005 TOYOTA Great Ethiopian Run 10km race in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
He made his marathon debut in Boston in April this year, but failed to complete the race after dropping out due to stomach problems. He warmed up for the trails with an impressive win over 10km in Nazreth, Ethiopia.
Solomon Tsige, second in the trails, adds experience to the team having finished fifth in the 2004 World Half Marathon championships in New Delhi, India. “I had planned to run the 5000m at the African championships but I was injured,” he said. “I did not particularly train for the trails and only competed because I had experience over the half marathon. This year will be my last 20km road competition. I want to finish with a big result.”
The men’s squad also includes Ethiopian championships 10,000m bronze medallist Tadesse Tola, Lishan Yegezu (13th in the Edmonton 2005 World Half Championships), and little-known Demesew Tsega.
Elshadai Negash for the IAAF
Ethiopian squad for Debrecen
MEN
Deriba Merga
Solomon Tsege
Tadesse Tola
Demesew Tsega
Lishan Yegezu
WOMEN
Dure Tune
Ashu Kassim
Mulu Seboka
Teyiba Erkesso
Gishu Mendaye
