Lemi Berhanu Hayle, also known as Berhanu Lemi, (Amharic: ለሚ ብርሃኑ ኃይሌ ; born 13 September 1994) is an Ethiopian long-distance runner who specialises in the marathon.[1] He competed in the marathon event at the 2015 World Championships in Athletics in Beijing, China, placing 15th.[2] His personal best of 2:04:33 hours, set in 2015, ranks him in the world's top 15 athletes for the distance (as of 2016).[3] In April 2016, he won the Boston Marathon.
 Berhanu Lemi Hayle, winner of the 2016 Boston Marathon approaching halfway point | |
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | 13 September 1994 |
| Sport | |
| Country | Ethiopia |
| Sport | Men's athletics |
| Event | Marathon |
| Achievements and titles | |
| Personal best(s) | Marathon: 2:04:33 (2015) Half marathon: 1:01:37 (2015) |
Career
editLemi ran his debut marathon in 2014 and his time of 2:10:40 hours made him the winner at the Zürich Marathon. The following year he entered the Dubai Marathon and surprised the high quality field by winning in a time of 2:05:28 hours – five minutes faster than he had run before to beat Boston Marathon champion Lelisa Desisa and Chicago Marathon runner-up Feyisa Lilesa. The prize winnings of US$200,000 represented a significant change of fortunes for the athlete and he remarked "I really don’t know what I will do with it".[4][5] He made it three consecutive wins at the distance by topping the podium at the Orlen Warsaw Marathon in 2:07:57 hours later that season.[6]
After losing his winning streak on his international debut at the 2015 World Championships in Athletics, he returned to defend his Dubai title in 2016 and gave a strong effort with a personal best of 2:04:33 hours. However, he lost out in a sprint finish with Tesfaye Abera and finished in second place, nine seconds in arrears.[7] Lemi won the 2016 Boston Marathon in a time of 2:12:45, confirming his place among the world's top distance runners.[8]
International competitions
edit| Year | Competition | Venue | Position | Event | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | Zürich Marathon | Zürich, Switzerland | 1st | Marathon | 2:10:40 |
| 2015 | Dubai Marathon | Dubai, United Arab Emirates | 1st | Marathon | 2:05:28 |
| Orlen Warsaw Marathon | Warsaw, Poland | 1st | Marathon | 2:07:57 | |
| World Championships | Beijing, China | 15th | Marathon | 2:17:37 | |
| 2016 | Dubai Marathon | Dubai, United Arab Emirates | 2nd | Marathon | 2:04:33 |
| Boston Marathon | Boston, United States | 1st | Marathon | 2:12:45 | |
| Olympic Games | Rio de Janeiro, Brazil | 13th | Marathon | 2:13:29 | |
| 2017 | Xiamen International Marathon | Xiamen, China | 1st | Marathon | 2:08:27 |
| New York City Marathon | New York City, United States | 4th | Marathon | 2:11:52 | |
| 2018 | Hengshui Lake Marathon | Hengshui, China | 1st | Marathon | 2:08:51 |
| 2019 | Toronto Waterfront Marathon | Toronto, Canada | 2nd | Marathon | 2:05:09 |
Circuit wins
edit- Zürich Marathon: 2014
- Dubai Marathon: 2015
- Orlen Warsaw Marathon: 2015
- Boston Marathon: 2016
- Xiamen International Marathon: 2017
- Hengshui Lake Marathon: 2018
References
edit- ^ "Berhanu Lemi". IAAF. 22 August 2015. Retrieved 22 August 2015.
- ^ 2015 World Championships in Athletics Men's Marathon Final Results. IAAF. Retrieved on 19 April 2016.
- ^ senior outdoor Marathon men All-Time Best. IAAF. Retrieved on 19 April 2016.
- ^ Wenig, Jörg (23 January 2015). Berhanu surprises while Mergia makes magnificent comeback in Dubai. IAAF. Retrieved on 2016-04-18.
- ^ Gambaccini , Peter (23 January 2015). Berhanu Shocks Dubai Field to Win Marathoning's Biggest Prize Lemi Berhanu PRs by five minutes; new mom Aselefech Mergia wins tight women's race. IAAF. Retrieved on 2016-04-18.
- ^ Jackowski, Pawel (26 April 2015). Lemi Berhanu continues unbeaten marathon streak in Warsaw. IAAF. Retrieved on 2016-04-18.
- ^ Mulkeen, Jon (22 January 2016). Ethiopia's Abera and Tsegaye triumph at Dubai Marathon. IAAF. Retrieved on 2016-04-18.
- ^ Lemi Berhanu Hayle wins 2016 Boston Marathon men’s division race
