Zersenay Tadese Habtesilase (Tigrinya: ዘርእሰናይ ታደሰ; born 8 February 1982) is an Eritrean former long-distance track and road running athlete. He held the men's half marathon world record from 2010 to 2018. His bronze medal in the 10,000 metres at the 2004 Athens Olympics made him the first ever Eritrean Olympic medallist, and his 20-km title at the 2006 IAAF World Road Running Championships also made him the country's first athlete to win at a world championship event. He does not use a sprint finish to win races; his strategy relies on a combination of efficient running and fast pace setting.
Zersenay ("Tadese" is his father's name) has found most of his success in the half marathon, with four consecutive victories in the World Half Marathon Championships from 2006 to 2009 (with a 2006 20 km edition), a silver medal in 2010 and a fifth title in 2012. His 5 titles are a record. He set a world record at the Lisbon Half Marathon in 2010.
He has also excelled in cross country running, winning a gold, a silver, and two bronze medals in the long-distance race over five IAAF World Cross Country Championships. He is a four-time Olympian (2004, 2008, 2012 and 2016).
In 2009, Zersenay became only the second man (after Paul Tergat) to win three World Championship medals over three different surfaces in the same year, winning World Cross Country bronze, 10,000 metres World Championship silver on the track, and gold in road running at the World Half Marathon Championships. He is a popular public figure in his home country; 2500 guests attended his wedding to Merhawit Solomon, which was broadcast live on Eritrean television. His brother, Kidane Tadese, is also a professional distance runner.
In 2016, he was chosen to be part of Nike's Breaking2 team to try to break 2 hours for the marathon and finished in 2:06:51.
Career
Early life Zersenay Tadese was born in Adi Bana, and had a peaceful, rural upbringing with his six siblings, largely avoiding the troubles of the Eritrean War of Independence.Sampaolo, Diego & Manners, John (5 October 2009). Focus on Athletes – Zersenay Tadese. IAAF. Retrieved on 2009-10-11. He became interested in cycling in his teenage years and, after winning a number of races, he set his sights upon becoming a professional cyclist in Europe. However, the races of 30–50 km fell short of the distances needed to compete on the European circuit and he was ill-prepared for a transition to top-level cycling.Powell, David (11 October 2009). Tadese, a man for all surfaces – World Half Marathon, Birmingham. IAAF. Retrieved on 2009-10-11.
He was a relative late-comer to competitive running: in his late teens, scouts from a local athletics club suggested that his cycling stamina might translate to running and invited him to compete. He won the race and was spurred on by the victory to start taking the sport seriously and focus on running.Turnbull, Simon (30 March 2008). Tadese is the wheel deal. The Independent. Retrieved on 2009-10-11. Zersenay was adamant that his early years in cycling had given him a firm foundation for endurance running.
His first foray into the international athletics circuit came in 2002, when he attended the 2002 IAAF World Cross Country Championships in Dublin. Although he was wearing ill-fitting shoes and was somewhat puzzled at hearing a starting gun for the first time, he managed to finish in 30th place with a time of 36 minutes and 37 seconds. However, he remained some distance off the winner Kenenisa Bekele.2002 World Championships Official Results – CROSS LONG RACE Men . IAAF (24 March 2002). Retrieved on 2009-10-11. He competed at his first IAAF World Half Marathon Championships in May of that year, finishing just outside the top twenty runners with a time of 1:03:05.2002 World Half Marathon Championships Official Results – Men . IAAF (5 May 2002). Retrieved on 2009-10-12. He competed on the track at the African Athletics Championships, taking sixth place in the 10,000 metres race in Radès, Tunisia, rounding off a modest debut year.
The 2003 season saw Zersenay establish himself as an emerging force in cross country: he broke into the top ten at the 2003 IAAF World Cross Country Championships,2003 IAAF World Cross Country Championships Long Race – M Final. IAAF (30 March 2003). Retrieved on 2009-10-12. and finished in the top three in all of his six races in Europe that winter. A 5000 metres win at the KBC Night of Athletics brought Zersenay an Eritrean record of 13:11.07, and a place at the IAAF World Championships in Athletics.Satisfied Block finds competition hot in Heusden. IAAF (3 August 2003). Retrieved on 2009-10-12. At the 2003 World Championships, he improved his record further to 13:05.57 and finished in eighth place in the 5000 metres final.2003 World Championships 5000 Metres – M Final. IAAF (31 August 2003). Retrieved on 2009-10-12. More improvements came at the World Half Marathon Championships in Vilamoura, Portugal, where he recorded a personal best of 1:01:26 to finish in seventh position.Lel takes gold for Kenya as Tanzania win first team gold. IAAF (4 October 2003). Retrieved on 2009-10-12. 2003 World Half Marathon – M Final. IAAF (4 October 2003). Retrieved on 2009-10-12.
Olympic medalist The 2004 season represented a breakthrough for Zersenay and he established himself as a serious contender in distance running. He signed a contract with Adidas Spain and brought the team victory at the European Clubs' Cross Country Cup in February.El Adidas español gana la Copa de Europa de cross . El Mundo (1 February 2004). Retrieved on 2009-10-12.European Clubs' Cross Country Cup. GBR Athletics. Retrieved on 12 October 2009. The following month he bettered his previous showings at the World Cross Country Championships with a sixth-place finish.Official Team Results Long Race – M. IAAF (21 March 2004). Retrieved on 2009-10-12. With the help of teammates Yonas Kifle and Tesfayohannes Mesfen, among others, he took Eritrea to third position in the team competition – the first time the country had reached the podium at a world cross country event.Fessahaye, Essayas (11 March 2009). World Cross Country Championships: From Brussels to Amman. Shaebia. Retrieved on 2009-10-12. IAAF World Cross Country Championships. GBR Athletics. Retrieved on 12 October 2009. Two months later he finished second in the 10 km Great Manchester Run; his time of 27:59 was five seconds behind winner Craig Mottram.O'Sullivan storms to glory. BBC Sport (23 May 2004). Retrieved on 2009-10-12. He took to the track in June at a meeting in Gavà, Spain, and recorded another national record, this time in the 10,000 m with a time of 27:32.61.VII Meeting Iinternacional D'Atletisme De Gavá, 13 de junio . Real Federación Española de Atletismo (5 June 2004). Retrieved on 2009-10-12.
The peak of his season came at the 2004 Athens Olympics, where he became the first person in Eritrean sporting history to win an Olympic medal. Zersenay took the bronze in the 10,000 metres at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece behind Kenenisa Bekele, and Sileshi Sihine.Olympics, Track & Field – Track & Field Results – Yahoo! Sports His performance of 27:22.57 represented a dramatic improvement as he had beaten his previous best by ten seconds, despite unfavourably hot conditions. Zersenay refused to politicise his medal win behind his Ethiopian counterparts, stating: "we have always been friends with the Ethiopians. Now we are a nation...I can say I am very happy."Eritrea captures first ever Olympic Medal. Eritrea Daily (21 August 2004). Retrieved on 2009-10-12. The Eritrean-born runner Meb Keflezighi, representing the United States, won silver in the marathon a few days later, highlighting the country's improving standards. Zersenay finished his first Olympics by reaching another event final: he took seventh place in the men's 5000 metres race, confirming his position as a world-class runner.2004 Olympics 5000 Metres – M Final. IAAF (28 August 2004). Retrieved on 2009-10-12.
He opened 2005 with a second win in the European Clubs' Cross Country Cup. He won his first World Cross Country Championship medal soon after, finishing second to Bekele to take silver at the 2005 edition. On the track, he recorded a 5000 m personal best of at the Qatar Grand Prix in Doha,Qatar Athletic Super Grand Prix. IAAF (13 May 2005). Retrieved on 2009-10-16. and qualified to compete at the World Championships in both the 5000 and 10,000 m. At the 2005 World Championships, he broke the national record in the 10,000 m final, but his time of 27:12.82 was only enough for sixth.2005 World Championships 10,000 Metres – M Final. IAAF (8 August 2005). Retrieved on 2009-10-16. The 5000 m final held little reprieve for the Eritrean as he finished in second last position.2005 World Championships 5000 Metres – M Final. IAAF (14 August 2005). Retrieved on 2009-10-16. He ended the season on a positive note, however, improving his 10,000 m best to 27:04.70 at the Memorial Van Damme,Memorial Van Damme. IAAF (26 September 2005). Retrieved on 2009-10-16. and winning the Great North Run with a world best time of 59:05 – which was only his second outing over the half marathon distance.Butler, Mark (18 September 2005). Tadesse runs 59:05 Half Marathon at Great North Run . IAAF. Retrieved on 2009-10-16.
Road and cross country world champion Zersenay failed to make the podium for a second time at the 2006 World Cross Country Championships, but his fourth-place finish headed the Eritrean team towards silver medal in the team competition.Downes, Steven (2 April 2006). Men's Long Race, Fukuoka – Bekele's makes it ten but then suggests no more!. IAAF. Retrieved on 2009-10-16. The following month, Zersenay overcame both Fabiano Joseph and Boniface Kiprop to win the Great Manchester Run. He sprinted to the line with a finishing time of 27:36; an Eritrean record and the second fastest that year.Tadesse and Adere win, as numerous national 10km records fall in Manchester. IAAF (21 May 2006). Retrieved on 2009-10-16. In August that year, he significantly improved his 10,000 m best at Memorial Van Damme; his time of 26:37.25 knocked almost thirty seconds off his previous mark to make him the 8th fastest person ever, but he still finished behind the emerging Micah Kogo who ran the tenth fastest ever time.Turner, Chris (25 August 2006). Gay skims 200m in 19.79; 4x800m World record in Brussels – IAAF Golden League. IAAF. Retrieved on 2009-10-16. A new best of 59:16 by Zersenay at the Rotterdam Half Marathon equalled Samuel Wanjiru's course record and boded well for the upcoming championship race.Zersenay Tadesse wins third Fortis Half Marathon equalling course record of 59:16. IAAF (11 September 2006). Retrieved on 2009-10-16.