Background

When Dejene Berhanu decides to do something, he tends to do it well. In 2003, Berhanu focused on the roads and was among the hottest athletes on the U.S. circuit, with victories in Carlsbad and Boulder among a number of top-five finishes. In 2004, he turned his attention to the track, where he set personal bests at 5000m both indoors and outdoors (12:54.15) before placing fifth in Athens. When he returned to the roads after the Olympics, he broke Haile Gebrselassie’s national record for the half marathon when he ran 59:37 to win the Great North Run, to become the fourth-fastest half-marathoner in history. At the time, it was the fastest half-marathon ever run on British soil.

After the 2005 World Championships, in which he finished eighth at 5000 meters, Berhanu turned his focus toward the marathon.