Dejene Berhanu
Dejene Berhanu (December 12, 1980 – August 29, 2010[1]) was a male Ethiopian runner, who specialized in the 5000 metres.
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | December 12, 1980 Addis Alem, Oromia, Ethiopia |
| Died | August 29, 2010 (aged 29) Ethiopia |
| Height | 1.84 m (6 ft 0 in) |
| Weight | 64 kg (141 lb) |
| Sport | |
| Country | Ethiopia |
| Sport | Running |
| Event(s) | 5000 metres |
| Turned pro | 2004 |
| Achievements and titles | |
| Olympic finals | 2004 Summer Olympics: 5000 m – 5th |
Berhanu finished 11th in the short race at the 2004 World Cross Country Championships and 5th in the 5000 at the Athens Olympics. He followed that up with a pair of strong finishes at the World Cross Country Championships the next year. Berhanu was 7th in the short race and 6th in the long race. He ran in the 5000 again at the World Championships at Helsinki, finishing 8th.
In 2006, Berhanu turned to focus on the marathon. He eschewed cross country for the Rotterdam Marathon, where he finished fourth in a time of 2:08:46. He ran the Chicago Marathon in the fall as a last-minute replacement for favourite Felix Limo. Running with the leaders through the halfway mark in a blistering 63:15, Berhanu faded after 30 km and finished 9th in a time of 2:12:27.
Death
Berhanu died August 29, 2010 in Ethiopia, at age 29. The cause of death was suicide.[2]
Achievements
| Year | Competition | Venue | Position | Event | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Representing  Ethiopia | |||||
| 2000 | African Championships | Algiers, Algeria | 2nd | 10,000 m | |
| 2003 | All-Africa Games | Abuja, Nigeria | 3rd | 10,000 m | |
| World Athletics Final | Monte Carlo, Monaco | 6th | 5000 m | ||
| 2004 | World Cross Country Championships | Brussels, Belgium | 11th | Short race | |
| Olympic Games | Athens, Greece | 5th | 5000 m | ||
| World Athletics Final | Monte Carlo, Monaco | 2nd | 5000 m | ||
| 2005 | World Cross Country Championships | Saint-Galmier, France | 7th | Short race | |
| World Cross Country Championships | Saint-Galmier, France | 6th | Long race | ||
| World Championships | Helsinki, Finland | 8th | 5000 m | ||
| 2007 | World Championships | Osaka, Japan | 31st | Marathon | 2:27:50 |
Personal bests
- 3000 metres – 8:06.56 (2002)
- 5000 metres – 12:54.15 (2004)
- 10,000 metres – 27:12.22 (2005)
- Marathon – 2:08:46 (2006)
References
- Dejene Berhanu at World Athletics
- Evans, Hilary; Gjerde, Arild; Heijmans, Jeroen; Mallon, Bill; et al. "Dejene Berhanu". Olympics at Sports-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on 2011-09-01.
- marathoninfo
| Sporting positions | ||
|---|---|---|
Preceded by Hendrick Ramaala |
Men's Half Marathon Best Year Performance 2004 |
Succeeded by Zersenay Tadese |
