In this Eritrean name, the name Tadese is a patronymic, and the person should be referred by the given name, Zersenay.
Zersenay Tadese
Zersenay at the 2009 World Championships
Personal information
Nationality
Eritrean
Born
(1982-02-08) 8 February 1982 (age 42) Adi Bana, Ethiopia [1][2]
Height
1.60 m (5 ft 3 in)[2]
Weight
54.431 kg (120 lb) (2023)
Sport
Sport
Athletics
Event(s)
10,000 metres, half marathon
Achievements and titles
Personal bests
3000 m: 7:39.93[3]
2-mile: 8:19.34[3]
5000 m: 12:59.27[3]
10,000 m: 26:37.25[3]
Half marathon: 58:23[3]
Marathon: 2:08:46[3]
Medal record
Representing Eritrea
Olympic Games
2004 Athens
10,000 m
World Championships
2009 Berlin
10,000 m
World Cross Country Championships
2007 Mombasa
Senior race
2006 Fukuoka
Long team
2005 Saint-Etienne
Long race
2009 Amman
Senior race
2009 Amman
Senior team
2008 Edinburgh
Senior race
2004 Brussels
Long team
World Half Marathon Championships
2012 Kavarna
Individual
2009 Birmingham
Individual
2008 Rio de Janeiro
Individual
2007 Udine
Individual
2006 Debrecen (20km)
Individual
2010 Nanning
Individual
All-Africa Games
2007 Algiers
10,000 m
2015 Brazzaville
Half Marathon
Zersenay Tadese Habtesilase[nb][4] (Tigrinya: ዘርእሰናይ ታደሰ; born 8 February 1982) is a retired Eritrean long-distance track and road running athlete. He held the men's half marathon world record from 2010 to 2018. His bronze medal in the 10,000 metres at the 2004 Athens Olympics made him the first ever Eritrean Olympic medallist, and his 20-km title at the 2006 IAAF World Road Running Championships also made him the country's first athlete to win at a world championship event.[5][6] He does not use a sprint finish to win races; his strategy relies on a combination of efficient running and fast pace setting.
Zersenay ("Tadese" is his father's name) has found most of his success in the half marathon, with four consecutive victories in the World Half Marathon Championships from 2006 to 2009 (with a 2006 20 km edition), a silver medal in 2010 and a fifth title in 2012. His 5 titles are a record. He set a world record at the Lisbon Half Marathon in 2010.
He has also excelled in cross country running, winning a gold, a silver, and two bronze medals in the long-distance race over five IAAF World Cross Country Championships. He is a four-time Olympian (2004, 2008, 2012 and 2016).
In 2009, Zersenay became only the second man (after Paul Tergat) to win three World Championship medals over three different surfaces in the same year, winning World Cross Country bronze, 10,000 metres World Championship silver on the track, and gold in road running at the World Half Marathon Championships. He is a popular public figure in his home country; 2500 guests attended his wedding to Merhawit Solomon, which was broadcast live on Eritrean television. His brother, Kidane Tadese, is also a professional distance runner.
In 2016, he was chosen to be part of Nike's Breaking2 team to try to break 2 hours for the marathon and finished in 2:06:51.[7]
^Cite error: The named reference Focus was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^ abEvans, Hilary; Gjerde, Arild; Heijmans, Jeroen; Mallon, Bill; et al. "Zersenay Tadesse". Olympics at Sports-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on 17 April 2020.
^ abcdefIAAF. "Athlete profile for Zersenay Tadese".
^"Zersenay Tadese". Olympedia. OLYMadMen. Retrieved 4 January 2022.
^Cite error: The named reference Surfaces was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^Cite error: The named reference FirstWC was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^Burgess, Matt. "If you missed Nike's two-hour marathon attempt you can relive it here". Retrieved 9 April 2018.
ZersenayTadese Habtesilase[nb] (Tigrinya: ዘርእሰናይ ታደሰ; born 8 February 1982) is a retired Eritrean long-distance track and road running athlete. He held...
expunged for doping. Sabastian Sawe also ran 58:24 (2024), 58:29 (2023). ZersenayTadese also ran 58:30 (2011). Yomif Kejelcha also ran 58:32 (2022). Philemon...
to compete in track and field events. At the 2004 Games in Athens, ZersenayTadese won Eritrea's first ever medal when he finished third in the men's...
briefly hosted the shorter distance. The world best for men is held by ZersenayTadese of Eritrea who ran a time of 56:01 at the 2006 IAAF World Road Running...
younger brother of ZersenayTadese, who is an Olympic and World Championship medallist. nb Although Kidane's brother, ZersenayTadese, clarified that Tadasse...
followed that win with a long course victory the next day over Eritrean ZersenayTadese and Kenyan rival Eliud Kipchoge. On 8 August 2005, Kenenisa Bekele...
feat. The three runners included Lelisa Desisa, Eliud Kipchoge, and ZersenayTadese. Eliud Kipchoge won the race with a time of 2:00:25, but ultimately...
2012 IAAF World Half Marathon Championships in Kavarna, Bulgaria. ZersenayTadese of Eritrea won in 1:00:19 and Kipchoge placed sixth in 1:01:52. Kipchoge...
brother of ZersenayTadese Meba Tadesse (born 1986), team silver medallist in the 2003 World Cross Country Championships Mekdes Bekele Tadese (born 1987)...
having won the marathon at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, and Zersenay was the half marathon WR holder (58:23, set in 2010). Nike also brought...
Cheruiyot followed behind. Another strong field was assembled in 2010 and ZersenayTadese of Eritrea broke both the 20 kilometres and half marathon world records...
Sebastian Sawe also ran 26:54 (2022). Nicholas Kimeli also ran 26:54 (2023). Tadese Worku also ran 26:59 (2022), 27:02 (2024). Joshua Cheptegei also ran 26:49...
Inc., announced that three top distance runners — Eliud Kipchoge, ZersenayTadese, and Lelisa Desisa — had agreed to forgo the spring marathon season...
for second at the Lisbon Half Marathon behind a world record-beating ZersenayTadese. Kitwara is a three-time champion of the Bay to Breakers and the course...
Kiprop and Florence Kiplagat won their respective races. Kiprop broke ZersenayTadese's winning streak which dated back to 2006, out-sprinting the defending...
Retrieved 10 October 2009. Butcher, Pat (20 October 2009). "Wanjiru vs Tadese set for half marathon in Abu Dhabi". IAAF. Retrieved 12 May 2016. Brown...
Teklemariam Medhin Yidnekachew Shimangus Zemenfes Solomon Simret Sultan ZersenayTadese Daniel Teklehaimanot Alexander Isak Michael Adonai Yegizaw Michael...
champion over 10,000 metres, Berhane Adere, was the 2010 women's winner. ZersenayTadese holds the men's course record with his time of 59:30 minutes, set in...
Championships, defeating five time world half Marathon Championships winner ZersenayTadese. In 2015, he started off his year by winning the world cross country...
seen increasing success in the international arena in other sports. ZersenayTadese, an Eritrean athlete, formerly held the world record in the half marathon...
1:01:57 was only enough for ninth and some distance off the winner ZersenayTadese, who set a world record. At the BIG 25 Berlin race in May, he established...
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