Background
Abreham Cherkos was born in Asella in Ethiopia"s Oromia Region – the same town as multiple-gold medallist Haile Gebrselassie.
long-distance runner marathon runner
Abreham Cherkos was born in Asella in Ethiopia"s Oromia Region – the same town as multiple-gold medallist Haile Gebrselassie.
A former track specialist, he now competes in road running events including the marathon. He took bronze at the 2006 IAAF World Athletics Final and represented Ethiopia at the 2007 World Championships in Athletics. After a year out in 2009, he made his marathon debut in 2010 at the Amsterdam Marathon, setting a best of 2:07:29.
In the 3000 metres race held in Marrakech, he covered the last km in 2:27, indicating his speed in distance events.
He set a world youth best of 7:32.37 for the 3000 m in Lausanne that year. In 2006 Abreham began his international year by beating veteran runner Abraham Chebii of Kenya at the Carlsbad 5000, completing the 5 km road race in 13:14.
Later in the year, Abreham, in one of the most famous athletics stadiums – Bislett Stadion – he ran 12:59 in only his second 5000 metres race, finishing fifth behind a group of experienced runners including Kenenisa Bekele of Ethiopia and Isaac Kiprono Songok of Kenya. He followed his sub-13 minute performance with a 12:54.19 in Rome later on in the season.
At sixteen years of age Abreham was running under the world record 12 years earlier.
He completed the 2006 season with a silver medal in the 2006 World Junior Championships behind his older countryman Tariku Bekele. At the last meet of the year he beat Tariku at the IAAF World Athletics Final. As a junior with one year of competition under his belt Abreham was able to finish third against the top athletes at the discipline at the 2008 IAAF World Indoor Championships.
He finished fifth at the 2008 Beijing Olympics in the 5000 m later that year.
This race proved to be good preparation for the Amsterdam Marathon in October as he took fourth place in a quick race, clocking a time of 2:07:29 on his debut to finish six seconds behind compatriot Chala Dechase. He began 2011 with a run at the Roma-Ostia Half Marathon and he finished fourth in 61:42 minutes.
His sole outing the following year came at the 2012 London Marathon, but he was much slower and his time of 2:12:46 hours left him in 15th place and out of touch with the top runners. He missed the entire 2013, but returned in 2014 in good form, running a legal-course best of 2:07:08 hours to take fifth at the Seoul International Marathon.
Personal bests 1500 metres - 3:42.91 minimum (2005).