Background

For a 25-year-old, Gebre-egziabher Gebremariam has had some eventful races on the world stage, and none more so than the two that launched his career in 2002. In March of that year, he served notice of a bright future when he won the junior men’s division of the World Cross Country Championships barefoot, having lost one shoe early in the race before kicking off the other and overtaking Kenya’s Abel Cheruiyot in the final 200m to win by one second. With his victory, Gebremariam became the first runner from the northern province of Tigray to win a world title since Miruts Yifter took two gold medals at the 1980 Olympics. Then, that November, he upset a field that included Kenenisa Bekele to win the Great Ethiopian Run 10K in Addis Ababa, coming from nowhere to pass Sileshi Sihine with the tape in sight.

In March 2009, after years of failing to win a single individual medal in any global championships, Gebremariam suprised many to win the gold medal at the 2009 IAAF World Cross Country Championships in Amman, Jordan. In a thrilling race on an exceedngly difficult course, Gebremariam stayed with the lead pack until the final 300m uphill climb, at which point he kicked away from Eritrea's former World Champion, Zersenay Tadese, and Uganda's Moses Kipsiro. It marked a stunning comeback for Gebremariam, his first world title as a senior, as he led Ethiopia to a siver medal in the team competition behind rival Kenya. With his individual gold and team silver medals, Gebremariam has now earned 15 medals at the IAAF World Cross Country Cross Country Championships, second only to compatriot Kenenisa Bekele. Following the conclusion of the European track season, Gebremariam took thirty seconds off his lifetime best in the half marathon, with a 1:00:59 clocking at the 2009 Great North Run in Newcastle, England.

He and his wife, eight-time World Cross Country medalist Werknesh Kidane, have two sons: Nathaniel and Muse.