Education
At the 2008 World Cross Country Championships she finished sixteenth in the senior race.
At the 2008 World Cross Country Championships she finished sixteenth in the senior race.
She was a bronze medallist in the event at the 2009 World Championships in Athletics. Her personal best of 2:19:31 hours is a former Ethiopian record for the distance and places her within the top ten of all-time. She began taking part in professional road races in 2006, starting with a seventh-place finish at the Delhi Half Marathon.
She was second in the women"s 10K in Glasgow, Scotland, finishing behind Vivian Cheruiyot but setting a personal best of 32:19 for the distance.
With five Ethiopian runners ahead of her she missed out for a place on the victorious Ethiopian team She closed the year by winning a silver medal at the 2008 IAAF World Half Marathon Championships.
She made her marathon debut in April 2009 at the Paris Marathon, where she ran 2:25:02 for second place. Aselefech improved her half marathon personal best to 1:07:22 at the 2010 Ras First Rate (at Lloyd's) Khaimah Half Marathon.
Despite the fast time, this was only enough for third place behind Elvan Abeylegesse and Mare Dibaba.
She was chosen for the Ethiopian marathon team at the 2011 World Championships and was in twelfth at the 40 km point of the race, but dropped out in the final kilometres. 1500 metres - 4:23.39 minimum (2007)
Half marathon 1:07:21 (2011)
Marathon - 2:19:31 (2012).
She returned to defend her Bangalore 10K title in May, but was beaten to the tape by compatriot Wude Ayalew and, finishing two seconds behind her, Mergia had to settle for the runner-up position. An attempt to defend her Delhi Half Marathon title ended in a third-place finish, although she improved her best time by a second.