Addis Fortune

When Bezunesh Bekele won the 2009 Standard Chartered Dubai Marathon on January 9, 2009, chances are the average Ethiopian athletics fans will have never heard of her or the previous achievements she has under her belt. But, the diminutive runner is now a quarter of a million dollars richer subsequent to the huge prize money purse of the race. Elshadai Negash reports on Ethiopia’s virtually unknown runners who are reaping benefits for choosing careers on the road.

Bezunesh Bekele is quickly confused with the famous Ethiopian folk singer of the 1970s and 1980s; seldom does the image of a 1.46-metre diminutive runner come to mind. After all, she has only raced once in Ethiopian colours over distances 10Km and up – at the 2007 IAAF World Road Running Championships where she finished an obscure, but encouraging fourth in a new Ethiopian half marathon record.

The 26-year old from Addis Abeba finished second in the corresponding race last year in a personal best time of 2:23.07. This year she won the contest in 2:24.01 pocketing 250,000 dollars in prize money. Read more.