Letesenbet Gidey emerged as the first athlete to simultaneously hold the 5000m, 10000m, and half marathon world records. Born on 20 March 1998 in the Tigray Region of Ethiopia, she grew up on a family farm in Endameskel. Her professional trajectory shifted from an initial resistance to school sports into a dominant career in international long-distance athletics.
Early Athletic Development
As a 13-year-old student, Letesenbet was temporarily expelled from school for refusing to participate in physical education, only gaining readmission by agreeing to compete. By late 2012, she demonstrated early promise by winning the 2000m and 3000m steeplechase double at the Ethiopian Schools Championships in Shashemane. Her junior trajectory accelerated in 2015 when she secured the under-20 title at the World Cross Country Championships in Guiyang, China. She defended this junior crown in 2017 at Kampala, Uganda, while managing a transition into senior-level competition.
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Letesenbet entered the global stage with varied results. She placed 11th in the 5000m at the 2017 World Championships in London. By 2019, she established herself among the elite, winning the Ethiopian 10,000m trials in Hengelo before claiming the silver medal in the same event at the 2019 World Championships in Doha. That same year, she finished third at the World Cross Country Championships in Aarhus. Her road racing prowess became evident in November 2019 at the Zevenheuvelenloop in Nijmegen, where she set a world record of 44 minutes and 20 seconds in the 15 km event.
Record Breaking and Olympic Performance
The 2020 Tokyo Olympics saw Letesenbet earn a bronze medal in the 10,000 metres. Her versatility continued in October 2021 when she completed her first half marathon, setting a world record by breaking the previous mark by more than a minute. She remains the first woman to finish a half marathon in under 64 and 63 minutes. In 2022, she secured the World Championship title in the 10,000 metres and recorded a time of 2:16.49 during her debut at the Valencia Marathon, marking the fastest women's marathon debut in history.
Fast facts
- Born: 20 March 1998
- Birthplace: Endameskel, Tigray Region, Ethiopia
- Primary Sport: Athletics
- 2022 10,000m World Champion
- 2020 Tokyo Olympic bronze medallist (10,000m)
- First woman to run 15K under 45 minutes
Questions readers ask
What is Letesenbet Gidey's fastest marathon debut time?
She finished the 2022 Valencia Marathon in 2:16.49.
Did she hold multiple world records at once?
Yes, she was the first athlete to hold the 5000m, 10000m, and half marathon records simultaneously.
