Tirunesh Dibaba


Tirunesh Dibaba, also known as, is an Ethiopian athlete who competes in long-distance track events and international road races. She is the 5000 metres world record holder. She has won three Olympic track gold medals, five World Championship track gold medals, four individual World Cross Country adult titles, and one individual WCC junior title. She is nicknamed the "Baby Faced Destroyer."
At the 2005 IAAF World Championships in Helsinki Finland, she became the first woman to win the 5000 m and 10000m at the same championship. She is the one of two women who won the short and long course World Cross Country title at the same championship. With her 2003 World championship title, she became the youngest World Champion with the age of 18 years and 90 days.

Background

Tirunesh was born in the village of Bekoji, Arsi Zone of the Oromia Region and the fourth of six children. She is a member of the Oromo ethnic group. She began competing in athletics at the age of 14. She was raised in the high-altitude Arsi Zone in Oromia, Ethiopia but has lived in Addis Ababa, the capital, since 2000.
Tirunesh comes from an athletic family. Her older sister Ejegayehu won the silver medal in the 10,000 metres at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens. As of 25 June 2017, her younger sister Genzebe holds the world record for 1500 metres, 2000 metres and the indoor world records for 1500 metres, one mile, 3000 metres, and 5000 metres. Tirunesh and Genzebe are the only siblings in history to hold concurrent world records. Their aunt Derartu Tulu won gold medals in the 10,000 metres at the 1992 and 2000 Summer Olympics, the bronze medal in the 10,000 metres at the 2004 Summer Olympics, the silver medal in the 10,000 metres at the 1995 World Championships, and the gold medal in the 10,000 metres at the 2001 World Championships.

Career

Junior races

Dibaba's first fully international outdoor event as a junior was the 2001 World Cross Country Championships in Ostend, Belgium where, at the age of 15, she finished fifth.
Dibaba finished second in the junior race at the 2002 WCCC in Dublin, Ireland before winning that race in Lausanne, Switzerland in 2003.
Dibaba also earned a silver medal in the 5000 metres at the 2002 World Junior Championships in Kingston, Jamaica, 1.05 seconds behind Meseret Defar and just 0.05 seconds ahead of bronze medalist Vivian Cheruiyot.

2003: First World Championships gold medal

In May, Dibaba won the only Ethiopian national track championship of her senior career. The event was the 5000 metres, with Meseret Defar finishing second.
In Paris at her World Championships debut, Dibaba won the 5000 metres in a sprint finish against Marta Dominguez of Spain and Edith Masai of Kenya. This made her the youngest athlete to win an individual gold medal at the World Championships. Recalling the race, Dibaba said, "I competed in Paris only because I had the 'A' standard. No one expected me to win. There was no pressure from anywhere. All of them were looking at each other and no one was focusing on the finish line. I just went for it and was surprised that I had won."
In October, she finished fourth in the 5000 metres at the All-Africa Games in Abuja, Nigeria and second in the same event at the Afro-Asian Games in Hyderabad, India. Meseret Defar won both races. Dibaba said, "I was a bit tired after Paris and did not train well. I was not ready to run those races."

2004: Bronze medalist at the Athens Olympics

At the Summer Olympics in Athens, Dibaba finished third in the 5000 metres, behind Meseret Defar and Kenyan Isabella Ochichi. At age 19, she became the youngest-ever medalist for Ethiopia at the Olympics. She said about the race, "I was a bit overweight and after following Elvan at the early part of the race, I just could not follow the rest at the end. I was not disappointed. I had learned my lesson."

2005: Double gold medalist at the World Championships

At the Reebok Boston Indoor Games in January, Dibaba set a world record in the 5000 meters with a finish time of 14:32.93. This was 6.36 seconds faster than the previous world record set by Berhane Adere. Finishing second was Dibaba's sister Ejegayehu, over 25 seconds behind. She faded during the last 1000 metres after running with Tirunesh through 4000 metres in a hand-timed 11:46.2. Tirunesh's 1000 metre splits were 2:56.0 - 2:55.2 - 3:00.0 - 2:55.0 - 2:46.8.
Dibaba won two gold medals in March at the World Cross Country Championships in Saint-Galmier, France. She was the second woman, the other being Sonia O'Sullivan, to win two events since these championships began in 1998.
Dibaba out-sprinted her sister Ejegayehu and Adere to win the 10,000 metres at the World Championships in Helsinki, Finland. One week later, Dibaba broke the championships record while defeating Meseret Defar and sister Ejegayehu to win the 5000 metres and become the first woman to win the 10,000/5000 metres double at the same World Championships. The International Association of Athletics Federations recognized these two victories as the 2005 Female Performances of the Year. Just before these races, Dibaba said, "When I won in Paris, everybody called me the 'little girl'. I am no longer that little girl. I have matured and certainly am afraid of no one during competition."

2006: Dibaba-Defar rivalry intensifies

Dibaba won the long race on 1 April at the World Cross Country Championships in Fukuoka, Japan. The next day, however, she was unable to finish the short race.
Dibaba won five of the six Golden League 5000 metre races, which earned her a bonus of US$83,333. She also won the 5000 metres at the World Athletics Final. Dibaba and Meseret Defar raced against each other in five of those seven races, with Dibaba winning four times.
Defar defeated Dibaba in the 5000 metres at the African Championships in Bambous, Mauritius and in the 3000 metres at the World Athletics Final.

2007: Successful defense of 10,000 metres World Championship

Dibaba earned a US$25,000 bonus for breaking her own 5000 metres indoor world record at the Reebok Boston Indoor Games on 27 January, with a finish time of 14:27.42. Tirunesh's 1000 metre split times were 2:55.28 - 2:53.2 - 2:51.5 - 2:56.68 - 2:46.4. She held this record until Meseret Defar broke it on 18 February 2009 in Stockholm with a finish time of 14:24.37.
During the 10,000 metres race at the World Championships in Osaka, Dibaba again used her sprint finish to overhaul Turkey's Elvan Abeylegesse, whose second-place finish here was expunged in 2017 for doping. Dibaba won despite having a mid-race tumble and abdominal pains throughout the race. Dibaba's finish time was 31:55.41. She thus became the only woman to win consecutive 10,000 metre titles at the World Championships. She did not compete in the 5000 metres.

2008: Double gold medalist at the Beijing Olympics & 5000 metres world record

At the 6 June Bislett Games in Oslo, a Golden League event, Tirunesh Dibaba set a world record in the 5000 metres, running the distance in 14:11.15. Lucy Wangui Kabuu from Kenya ran a personal best and finished in second place, 22 seconds behind Dibaba. Tirunesh's sister Ejegayehu Dibaba finished in third place with a time of 14:36.78. Dibaba bettered Meseret Defar's world record by 5.48 seconds. Tirunesh said after the race, "I've been thinking about this for a long time and this is a very special day for me. I was trying my best, and I knew I was going to break the record with two laps to go. The early part of the race was pretty good, but at 3000 metres we were a little behind, so then I had to catch up on the pace. I could have run faster if the pacing was a little better." Tirunesh's 800 metre split times were: 2:13.7 - 2:19.0 - 2:22.5 - 2:17.8 - 2:15.4 - 2:10.1, with a last 200 metre split of 32.7.
Six days later, Tirunesh defeated her sister Ejegayehu by 0.68 seconds in the 10,000 metres at the Golden Spike Grand Prix in Ostrava, Czech Republic. Tirunesh's finish time was 31:03.37.
Dibaba won the 10,000 metres at the Summer Olympics in Beijing on 15 August. Her finish time of 29:54.66 broke the existing Olympic record of 30:17.49, which had been set by cousin Derartu Tulu at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney. In addition, her finish time was the second fastest 10,000 metres of all time and an African record. The previous African record of 30:04.18 was set by Berhane Adere at the 2003 World Championships.
Seven days later, Dibaba won the 5000 metres, defeating the defending champion Meseret Defar by 2.72 seconds. This made Dibaba the first woman to win both the 5000 and the 10,000 metres at the same Olympic games.
Dibaba was named the 2008 Athlete of the Year by Track & Field News. The IAAF awarded its Female Performance of the Year to Dibaba and Czech javelin thrower Barbora Špotáková. Dibaba was nominated for IAAF World Athlete of the Year, which was won instead by Russian pole vaulter Yelena Isinbayeva for the third time.

2009: World record at 15 kilometres during injury-shortened season

Injuries prevented Dibaba from competing in the World Cross Country Championships in Amman, Jordan and the World Championships in Berlin.
On 15 November, Dibaba won the Zevenheuvelenloop 15 kilometres road race in Nijmegen, Netherlands in a world best time of 46:28. This bettered Kayoko Fukushi's previous world best by almost half a minute. This was her first competitive road race since 2005, but she downplayed the idea of moving on to road running, stating that the track remained her priority. Her 5 kilometre splits were 15:58 – 15:25 – 15:05. She said, "Although I trained a lot together with my husband for this race, a roadrace is something different. I did not know what I could expect. Therefore, I was not that fast in the beginning.... After 10 kilometres, I pressed the pace and in the final three kilometres it felt like flying. It feels good as you hear after the finish that your husband also has won."

2010

In February, Dibaba ran the third fastest indoor two-mile race to date at the Aviva Grand Prix in Birmingham, U.K. Her mile splits were 4:41.2 followed by 4:31.1.
At the World Cross Country Championships in Bydgoszcz, Dibaba finished fourth.
Dibaba successfully defended her 10,000 metres title at the African Championships in Nairobi with a finish time of 31:51.39. Her last 400 metres was timed at 61 seconds.

2012: Successful defense of 10,000 metres Olympic gold medal

A stress fracture in her right leg kept Dibaba out of competition for 16 months. She returned to racing on 31 December 2011 to win the 10 kilometre San Silvestre Vallecana Silver Label Road Race in Madrid, Spain by overcoming Gelete Burka in a sprint finish.
She won the two-mile race at the New Balance Indoor Grand Prix in Boston on 4 February and took her second career win at the Carlsbad 5000 road race in April.
On 1 June in her first outdoor track race of the year, she won the 10,000 metres at the Prefontaine Classic in Eugene, a Diamond League event, by holding off Florence Kiplagat at the finish line.
Eight days later at the Diamond League Adidas Grand Prix in New York City, Dibaba won the 5000 metres with her last 400 metres being run in 61.54 seconds. Her winning margin over second-place finisher Meseret Defar was more than 6 seconds.
At the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, she successfully defended her 10,000 metres title with a powerful performance over the final 600 metres, winning in a time of 30:20.75. This was the fastest of the year by any female athlete. This made her the first woman to win consecutive Olympic 10,000 meter titles. After the win, she said, "I have never been happier than today – this is even better than in Beijing". In the 5000 metres, she finished third behind gold medalist Meseret Defar and silver medalist Vivian Cheruiyot, thus failing to repeat her 10,000/5000 double from the 2008 Summer Olympics. After the race, Dibaba said, "I'm not very pleased today. I gave it a good shot, but I wasn't aiming for bronze. I'm a bit disappointed."
After the Olympics, she returned to road racing on 16 September at the BUPA Great North Run, a Gold Label Road Race in northern England. She had one of the fastest ever half marathon debuts while winning in a time of 1:07:35. She defeated the marathon gold medalists from the 2012 Summer Olympics and the 2011 World Championships, Tiki Gelana and Edna Kiplagat, respectively, even though both ran personal bests.
Dibaba closed her year on 18 November with a win at the ABN-AMRO Zevenheuvelenloop in Nijmegen, Netherlands, setting the fastest time that season for the 15 kilometre distance.

2013: Third World Championship in the 10,000 metres

In February, Dibaba hoped to break the indoor 2 mile world record at the New Balance Indoor Grand Prix in Boston. Her pacer, however, quit at the 1 kilometre mark, and she finished in 9:13.17, seven seconds off the record. Dibaba said after the race, "With this first race , I am happy. But I could have run faster with better pacing--9:03 or 9:04. I would have liked to have broken the meet record.... Running alone is a bit tough. When I broke the world record at 5000 meters, I had good pacemakers."
Dibaba had planned to run the London Marathon on 21 April, but an injury to the bottom of her heel forced postponement of her debut at this distance.
She was in good form in May at the Great Manchester Run, setting a course record and an Ethiopian record of 30:49 to win this 10 kilometre road race.
On 1 June, Dibaba won the 5000 metres at the Prefontaine Classic in Eugene, Oregon, U.S., a Diamond League event that doubled as Ethiopia's trials for the World Championships. Her finish time of 14:42.01 was one-half second faster than second-place finisher Mercy Cherono of Kenya. Dibaba also finished ahead of five countrywomen, including London Olympian Belaynesh Oljira.
Dibaba on 27 June ran her last 10,000 metre race before the World Championships at the Golden Spike Ostrava in the Czech Republic. She won with a finishing time of 30:26.67, with Gladys Cherono Kiprono of Kenya finishing second in 30:29.23 and Belaynesh Oljira finishing third.
Just nine days later on 6 July at the Diamond League meeting in Paris, Dibaba clocked the fastest 5000 metres by any woman since 2008: 14:23.68. Ethiopian Almaz Ayana finished second in a personal best of 14:25.84, followed by countrywomen Gelete Burka, Sule Utura, and Buze Diriba.
Dibaba was the favourite to win the 10,000 metres at the World Championships in Moscow. She shadowed the leaders during the race until taking the lead with 500 metres remaining and sprinting to her fifth individual World Championships gold medal. Her finish time was 30:43.45, with her last 400 metres clocked at 59.98 seconds.
Dibaba did not enter the 5000 metres at the World Championships, despite saying in July immediately after her Paris 5000 metres victory that she intended to contest both events. In explaining her decision to skip the race, she denied that she was avoiding longtime rival Meseret Defar, saying, "The federation asked us to just run one race each, and that's why I left that race. Both of us have run many times, and they told us that they wanted upcoming athletes to have a chance, and we agreed with that."
On 29 August, Dibaba resumed her rivalry with Defar in the 5000 metres at the Weltklasse Zürich, a Diamond League event. Genzebe Dibaba took the lead after the last pacer dropped out, but she quit the race with 600 metres remaining. Tirunesh then took the lead, with Defar close behind, before Defar passed her in the last 100 metres. Defar finished the race in 14:32.83 with Tirunesh in second at 14:34.82.
Three days later in Tilburg, Netherlands, Dibaba attempted to break Paula Radcliffe's 10 kilometer road race world record of 30:21. Although Dibaba fell short by 9 seconds, her 30:30 finish time was the fourth fastest ever and broke Gladys Cherono Kiprono's 2012 course record by 27 seconds. Dibaba also broke the Ethiopian national record by 19 seconds.
Dibaba's final race of the season was the Great North Run in northern England on 15 September, where she was the defending champion. The race was billed as a "showdown" between Dibaba and Defar. However, the winner of the 2013 London Marathon and silver medalist at the 2012 London Olympics, Priscah Jeptoo from Kenya, won the race in the third fastest time ever for a half marathon. Only Radcliffe and Kenya's Susan Chepkemei had run faster. Defar finished second with a personal best and Dibaba third in a personal best time of 1:06:55.

2014-2015: Marathon debut followed by motherhood

Dibaba made her marathon debut at the 2014 London Marathon. She finished third in a time of 2:20:35, 14 seconds behind winner Edna Kiplagat and 11 seconds back of runner-up Florence Kiplagat. Dibaba stopped briefly near the 30 kilometre mark to pick up a dropped water bottle.
After becoming pregnant with her first child, Dibaba announced on 5 November that she would skip the 2015 season. Dibaba gave birth to a son in March 2015.

2016: Olympic bronze medalist in historic 10,000 metre race

Dibaba returned to the track in 2016 to qualify for and run in the 10,000 metres at the Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. She did not compete in the 5000 metres at the Olympics for the first time since 2004.
On 29 June, Dibaba lost a 10,000 metres race for the first time in her career. Almaz Ayana won the Ethiopian Olympic Trials in Hengelo, Netherlands with the fastest time since Meselech Melkamu's 29:53.8 finish time in June 2009, the seventh fastest time ever, and the fastest time ever for a 10,000 metres debut. Gelete Burka finished in second with Dibaba in third.
In perhaps the greatest 10,000 metres race of all time, Dibaba ran the fourth fastest time in history while winning the bronze medal. Her finish time of 29:42.56 was 12.1 seconds faster than her previous personal best of 29:54.66, which she set at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing. Teammate Almaz Ayana smashed Wang Junxia's 22 year old world record by 14.33 seconds on her way to the gold medal in a time of 29:17.45. Silver medalist Vivian Cheruiyot of Kenya came within 0.75 seconds of Wang's world record while running the third fastest time in history. Fourth place finisher Alice Aprot Nawowuna of Kenya ran the fifth fastest time in history. The next 9 finishers each set an area record, a national record, or a personal best. National records for Greece, Kyrgyzstan, and Uzbekistan also were broken. Before this race, a woman had finished a 10,000 metres race in under 30 minutes only five times - but four did so in this race. Dibaba said after the race, "I had a short time after delivery. Fortunately I got bronze.... This is great for me, my family and all of Ethiopia. The bronze is for my son."

2017: 10,000 metres silver medalist at the World Championships

Dibaba again ran the London Marathon, finishing in second place in a time of 2:17:56. This made her the third fastest woman ever in a marathon. Mary Jepkosgei Keitany's winning finish time of 2:17:01 was a world record for a women-only marathon and was the second-fastest performance in history. Only Paula Radcliffe has run faster, 2:15:25 at the mixed-gender 2003 London Marathon.
Dibaba won the silver medal in the 10,000 metres at the World Championships in London in August, finishing 46.37 seconds behind Almaz Ayana. Ayana broke open the race at the 4000 metres mark, running her next 1000 metres in 2:49.18. Dibaba had been training for this race for only two months, explaining after the race, “If I had followed... , I wouldn't have won a medal. I know my capacity these days because my training for this race was very short." This was the third consecutive 10,000 metres race that Ayana had defeated Dibaba. Dibaba's 1000 metre splits were as follows:
Dibaba committed to run the Chicago Marathon on 8 October. She won a gold medal during the 40th edition of the marathon, with a time of 2:18:30.
Dibaba run the San Silvestre Vallecana road 10k in Madrid on 31 Dec 2018. She finished third with a time of 30:40. The run was won by Brigid Kosgei in 29:54, the runner up was Hellen Obiri with 29:59. Due to the downhill nature of the course, times set there are not eligible for world record purposes. The men's race was won by Jacob Kiplimo with 26:41.

Personal life

Tirunesh is married to 2004 and 2008 Olympic 10,000 meter silver medallist Sileshi Sihine and they have a son, Nathan Sileshi, born in March 2015.
After the Beijing Olympics, her club, the Prisons Police, bestowed the rank of Chief Superintendent for her services to club and country. Tirunesh has an honorary doctorate from Addis Ababa University, and has a hospital on the outskirts of Addis Ababa named after her.
She has ventured into the hotel industry by establishing an eponymous Three Star hotel, which was set to open at the end of 2013. Local architectural and construction firm Kellog Consult won the bid to design and build the $1.8 million hotel.

Results

Olympics (outdoor)

In these track races at the Olympics, Dibaba's win-loss record against the following women is as follows:
YearLocationEventResultMarkNotes
2004Athens5000 metres3rd14:51.831st: Meseret Defar
10th: Sentayehu Ejigu
12th: Elvan Abeylegesse
14th: Sonia O'Sullivan
DNF: Edith Masai
2008Beijing10,000 metres1st29:54.663rd: Linet Masai
6th : Lornah Kiplagat
12th: Ejegayehu Dibaba
2008Beijing5000 metres1st15:41.402nd: Defar
4th: Vivian Cheruiyot
7th: Meselech Melkamu
2012London10,000 metres1st30:20.753rd: Cheruiyot
4th: Werknesh Kidane
2012London5000 metres3rd15:05.151st: Defar
2nd: Cheruiyot
5th: Gelete Burka
2016Rio de Janeiro10,000 metres3rd29:42.561st: Almaz Ayana
2nd: Cheruiyot
8th: Burka

IAAF world championship events

Dibaba has not participated in any edition of the IAAF World Indoor Championships. In other IAAF world championship races, Dibaba's win-loss record against the following women is set forth below. Only event finals are counted. A "did not finish" is counted as a loss to everyone who completed the race. A "did not start" is treated as being absent from the race.
YearTypeLocationEventResultMarkNotes
2003Cross countryLausanne, SwitzerlandShort7th12:541st: Edith Masai
2nd: Worknesh Kidane
9th: Ejagayehu Dibaba
10th: Eyerusalem Kuma
28th: Bezunesh Bekele
2003OutdoorParis5000 metres1st14:51.723rd: E. Masai
5th: Elvan Abeylegesse
10th: Berhane Adere
11th: Gabriela Szabo
15th: Sonia O'Sullivan
2004Cross countryBrusselsShort2nd13:091st: E. Masai
4th: Kidane
8th: Vivian Cheruiyot
10th: E. Dibaba
18th: Bekele
2005Cross countrySaint-Galmier, FranceLong1st26:342nd: Kidane
3rd: Meselech Melkamu
10th: Bekele
2005Cross countrySaint-Galmier, FranceShort1st13:152nd: Kidane
6th: Melkamu
12th: Bekele
14th: E. Dibaba
2005OutdoorHelsinki10,000 metres1st30:24.022nd: Adere
3rd: E. Dibaba
5th: E. Masai
6th: Kidane
9th: Paula Radcliffe
2005OutdoorHelsinki5000 metres1st14:38.59
Championships record		2nd: Meseret Defar
3rd: E. Dibaba
4th: Melkamu
2006Cross countryFukuoka, JapanLong1st25:212nd: Lornah Kiplagat
3rd: Melkamu
14th: E. Dibaba
2006Cross countryFukuoka, JapanShortDNF--Dibaba left the race at
the halfway mark.
1st: Gelete Burka
3rd: Melkamu
5th: L. Kiplagat
8th: Cheruiyot
9th: Bekele
2007Cross countryMombasa, KenyaSenior2nd26:471st: L. Kiplagat
3rd: Melkamu
4th: Burka
5th: Florence Kiplagat
8th: Cheruiyot
28th: Abeylegesse
DNF: Emily Chebet Muge
2007OutdoorOsaka10,000 metres1st31:55.417th: E. Dibaba
9th: Chebet Muge
2008Cross countryMombasa, KenyaSenior1st25:103rd: Linet Masai
6th: Burka
9th: Melkamu
2009Cross countryAmman, JordanAbsent------
2009OutdoorBerlinAbsent------
2010Cross countryBydgoszcz, PolandSenior4th24:381st: Chebet Muge
2nd: L. Masai
3rd: Melkamu
9th: Kidane
2011Cross countryPunta Umbria, SpainAbsent------
2011OutdoorDaegu, South KoreaAbsent------
2013Cross countryBydgoszcz, PolandAbsent------
2013OutdoorMoscow10,000 metres1st30:43.554th: Chebet Muge
2015Cross countryGuiyang, ChinaAbsent------
2015OutdoorBeijingAbsent------
2017Cross countryKampala, UgandaAbsent------
2017OutdoorLondon10,000 metres2nd31:02.691st: Almaz Ayana

African Championships in Athletics (outdoor track)

In these African Championship outdoor track races, Dibaba's win-loss record against the following women is as follows:
YearLocationEventResultMarkNotes
2002TunisiaAbsent------
2004Brazzaville, Republic of the CongoAbsent------
2006Bambous, Mauritius5000 metres2nd15:56.041st: Meseret Defar
6th: Meselech Melkamu
2008Addis Ababa, Ethiopia10,000 metres1st32:49.082nd: Ejegayehu Dibaba
2010Nairobi, Kenya10,000 metres1st31:51.392nd: Melkamu
3rd: Linet Masai
2012Porto Novo, BeninAbsent------
2014Marrakech, MoroccoAbsent------
2016Durban, South AfricaAbsent------
2018Lagos, Nigeria

All-Africa Games (outdoor track)

In these All-Africa Games outdoor track races, Dibaba's win-loss record against the following women is as follows:
YearLocationEventResultMarkNotes
2003Abuja, Nigeria5000 metres4th16:43.401st: Meseret Defar
5th: Sentayehu Ejigu
6th: Edith Masai
2007Algiers, AlgeriaAbsent------
2011Maputo, MozambiqueAbsent------
2015Brazzaville, Republic of the CongoAbsent------

Diamond League, Golden League (outdoor track)

Since 2010, the Diamond League has been an annual series of athletics meetings organised by the IAAF around the world. The Golden League was an annual series of athletics meetings organised by the IAAF in Europe from 1998 through 2009.
In these Golden League and Diamond League races, Dibaba's win-loss record against the following women is as follows:
YearSeriesMeetingEventResultMarkNotes
2002Golden LeagueBrussels3000 metres11th8:41.861st: Berhane Adere
2nd: Gabriela Szabo
3rd: Tatyana Tomashova
6th: Elvan Abeylegesse
7th: Ayelech Worku
10th: Meseret Defar
2002Golden LeagueBerlin5000 metres6th14:49.901st: Adere
2nd: Werknesh Kidane
5th: Worku
7th: Sentayehu Ejigu
8th: Tomashova
12th: Abeylegesse
2003Golden LeagueOslo5000 metres3rd14:39.94
Junior world record		1st: Adere
2nd: Kidane
4th: Defar
10th: Eyerusalem Kuma
2003Golden LeagueRome5000 metres4th14:41.971st: Defar
2nd: Szabo
3rd: Ejegayehu Dibaba
6th: Adere
11th: Worku
13th: Ejigu
19th: Kuma
2004Golden LeagueBergen5000 metres2nd14:30.88
Junior world record		Held in Bergen because of
Oslo stadium renovation.
1st: Abeylegesse 14:24.68
3rd: E. Dibaba
5th: Derartu Tulu
6th: Defar
13th: Meselech Melkamu
2004Golden LeagueRome5000 metres4th14:47.431st: E. Dibaba
2nd: Kidane
3rd: Defar
5th: Edith Masai
9th: Lornah Kiplagat
10th: Ejigu
2005Golden LeagueRome5000 metres1st14:32.572nd: Adere
3rd: Defar
4th: E. Masai
5th: E. Dibaba
6th: Melkamu
9th: Ejigu
10th: Burka
16th: Kidane
20th: Bezunesh Bekele
2006Golden LeagueOslo5000 metres1st14:30.402nd: E. Dibaba
3rd: E. Masai
5th: Melkamu
6th: Burka
2006Golden LeagueParis5000 metres1st14:54.242nd: Defar
3rd: Burka
4th: Adere
7th: E.. Masai
8th: E. Dibaba
10th: Vivian Cheruiyot
2006Golden LeagueRome5000 metres1st14:52.372nd: Defar
3rd: Burka
4th: Adere
9th: E. Dibaba
10th: E. Masai
14th: Bekele
2006Golden LeagueZürich5000 metres1st14:45.732nd: E. Masaii
3rd: Adere
5th: Cheruiyot
2006Golden LeagueBrussels5000 metres1st14:30.632nd: Defar
5th: Cheruiyot
6th: Melkamu
7th: E. Dibaba
2006Golden LeagueBerlin5000 metres2nd15:02.871st: Defar
3rd: Melkamu
4th: Burka
2007Golden LeagueParis5000 metres1st15:21.842nd: Florence Kiplagat
3rd: Melkamu
5th: E. Dibaba
2008Golden LeagueOslo5000 metres1st14:11.15
World record		3rd: E. Dibaba
6th: Genzebe Dibaba
2008Golden LeagueRome5000 metres1st14:36.582nd: Melkamu
6th: E. Dibaba
2009Golden League--------
2010Diamond LeagueNew York City5000 metres1st15:11.342nd: Ejigu
2010Diamond LeagueEugene, Oregon, U.S.5000 metres1st14:34.07-
2010Diamond LeagueLondon5000 metres1st14:36.412nd: Cheruiyot
3rd: Ejigu
5th: Linet Masai
12th: F. Kiplagat
2011Diamond League--------
2012Diamond LeagueEugene, Oregon, U.S.10,000 metres1st30:24.392nd: F. Kiplagat
4th: Kidane
5th: Aberu Kebede
2012Diamond LeagueNew York City5000 metres1st14:50.802nd: Defar
3rd: Burka
4th: Kidane
2013Diamond LeagueEugene, Oregon, U.S.5000 metres1st14:42.015th: Burka
8th: L. Masai
2013Diamond LeagueParis5000 metres1st14:23.682nd: Almaz Ayana
3rd: Burka
2013Diamond LeagueZurich5000 metres2nd14:34.821st: Defar
4th: Emily Chebet Muge
DNF: G. Dibaba
2014
2015
2016		Diamond League--------

World Athletics Finals (outdoor track)

World Athletics Final was an annual athletics competition organised by the IAAF from 2003 to 2009. In these races, Dibaba's win-loss record against the following women is as follows:
YearLocationEventResultMarkNotes
2003Monaco5000 metres3rd14:57.871st: Elvan Abeylegesse
2nd: Derartu Tulu
4th: Werknesh Kidane
7th: Sentayehu Ejigu
2004MonacoAbsent------
2005Monaco5000 metres2nd14:46.841st: Meseret Defar
3rd: Berhane Adere
DNF: Ejegayehu Dibaba
2006Stuttgart5000 metres1st16:04.772nd: Defar
4th: E. Dibaba
5th: Vivian Cheruiyot
6th: Meselech Melkamu
7th: Edith Masai
2006Stuttgart3000 metres2nd8:34.741st: Defar
3rd: Cheruiyot
6th: Gelete Burka
2007
2008		StuttgartAbsent------
2009Thessaloniki5000 metres2nd15:25.921st: Defar
3rd: Cheruiyot
6th: Ejigu
9th: Melkamu

Grand Prix, World Athletics Challenge (outdoor track)

In these Grand Prix and World Athletics Challenge races, Dibaba's win-loss record against the following women is as follows:
YearSeriesMeetingEventResultMarkNotes
2002Grand Prix IIPortland, Oregon, U.S.5000 metres1st15:13.782nd: Marla Runyan
4th: Werknesh Kidane
2002Grand Prix IEugene, Oregon, U.S.3000 metres4th8:42.571st: Runyan
2nd: Sonia O'Sullivan
3rd: Kidane
2002Grand Prix ILondon5000 metres4th15:04.541st: Berhane Adere
2nd: Gabriela Szabo
3rd: O'Sullivan
2003Grand Prix IIPortland, Oregon, U.S.5000 metres2nd15:01.441st: Meseret Defar
3rd: Sentayehu Ejigu
2003Super Grand PrixLausanne3000 metres5th8:50.201st: Yelena Zadorozhnaya
2nd: Defar
3rd: Tatyana Tomashova
4th: Kidane
7th: Ejigu
9th: O'Sullivan
2004----------
2005Super Grand PrixSheffield, U.K.5000 metres1st14:51.772nd: Ejegayehu Dibaba
:it:IAAF World Athletics Tour 2006|2006Super Grand PrixGateshead, U.K.3000 metres1st8:42.042nd: Adere
3rd: E. Dibaba
6th: Bezunesh Bekele
9th: Vivian Cheruiyot
:it:IAAF World Athletics Tour 2006|2006Super Grand PrixLondon3000 metres1st8:29.55
2nd: Adere
3rd: E. Dibaba
5th: Cheruiyot
6th: Meselech Melkamu
:it:IAAF World Athletics Tour 2006|2006Golden Grand PrixShanghai5000 metres1st14:55.632nd: Gelete Burka
4th: Melkamu
12th: Florence Kiplagat
:it:IAAF World Athletics Tour 2007|2007Grand PrixNew York City5000 metres1st14:35.6710th: Genzebe Dibaba
:it:IAAF World Athletics Tour 2008|2008Grand PrixOstrava, Czech Republic10,000 metres1st31:03.372nd: E. Dibaba
3rd: Melkamu
7th: Linet Masai
:it:IAAF World Athletics Tour 2008|2008Grand PrixRieti, Italy5000 metres1st14:23.463rd: G. Dibaba
:it:IAAF World Athletics Tour 2009|2009Grand PrixNew York City5000 metres2nd14:40.931st: L. Masai
3rd: G. Dibaba
:it:IAAF World Athletics Tour 2009|2009Super Grand PrixLondon5000 metres1st14:33.652nd: Ejigu
DNF: E. Dibaba
2010
2011
2012		----------
2013World ChallengeOstrava, Czech Republic10,000 metres1st30:26.676th: L. Masai
2014
2015
2016		----------

Other outdoor track & cross country races

In these outdoor track and cross country races, Dibaba's win-loss record against the following women is as follows:
YearLocationEventResultMarkNotes
2003Jan Meda International Cross Country
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia		Cross country:
short race		1st13:16.542nd: Werknesh Kidane
3rd: Eyerusalem Kuma
4th: Bezunesh Bekele
6th: E. Dibaba
2003Ethiopian Athletics Championships
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia		5000 metres1st16:01.482nd: Meseret Defar
3rd: Kuma
2003Yokohama Super Track and Field Meet
Yokohama		5000 metres2nd15:11.051st: Lucy Wangui Kabuu
3rd: Kidane
2004Great North Cross Country
Newcastle, England		Cross country1st21:012nd: Elvan Abeylegesse
3rd: Derartu Tulu
13th: Vivian Cheruiyot
2004Jan Meda International Cross Country
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia		Cross country:
long race		3rd28:47.941st: Kidane
4th: Kuma
2004Ethiopian Athletics Championships
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia		5000 metres2nd16:03.151st: Meselech Melkamu
3rd: Sentayehu Ejigu
DNF: Defar
2005Great Edinburgh International Cross Country
Edinburgh, Scotland		Cross country:
long race		1st21:353rd: Melkamu
4th: Kidane
7th: E. Dibaba
11th: Lornah Kiplagat
2005Jan Meda International Cross Country
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia		Cross country:
long race		1st26:462nd: Melkamu
3rd: Bekele
6th: Kidane
2005Ethiopian Athletics Championships
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia		5000 metres2ndTime not reported1st: Gelete Burka 15:39.12
3rd: Kidane
4th: Melkamu
2005Reebok Grand Prix
New York City		5000 metres1st14:32.422nd: E. Dibaba
3rd: Ejigu
2006Great Edinburgh International Cross Country
Edinburgh, Scotland		Cross country:
long race		3rd19:211st: Burka
6th: E. Dibaba
13th: Sonia O'Sullivan
2010Great Edinburgh International Cross Country
Edinburgh, Scotland		Cross country:
long race		1st21:372nd: Cheruiyot
2016Guldendensporenmeeting
Kortrijk, Belgium		5000 metres1st14:41.73-

Personal bests

Outdoor

As of 29 June 2017, Dibaba's outdoor personal bests are as follows:
EventMarkDateMeet & LocationNotes
3000 metres 8:29.5528 July 2006London Grand Prix
London		104th best of all time.
3 kilometres 9:1618 May 2014BUPA Great Manchester Run
Manchester, U.K.		Intermediate time in a longer race.
5000 metres 14:11.156 June 2008Bislett Games
Oslo		World record.
5 kilometres 14:513 April 2005Carlsbad 5000
Carlsbad, California, U.S.		--
10,000 metres 29:42.5612 August 2016Olympics
Rio de Janeiro		Fourth fastest of all time.
10 kilometres 30:301 September 2013Tilburg Ten Miles
Tilburg, Netherlands		 Ninth fastest of all time.
Ethiopian record.
15 kilometres 46:2815 November 2009Zevenheuvelenloop
Nijmegen, Netherlands		 Former world record.
Fifth fastest of all time.
10 miles 51:4923 October 2016Great South Run
Portsmouth, U.K.		Fifty-sixth fastest of all time.
20 kilometres 1:03:2510 February 2017Ras Al Khaimah Half Marathon
Ras al-Khaimah, United Arab Emirates		 Twenty-ninth fastest of all time.
Intermediate time in a longer race.
Half marathon 1:06:5010 February 2017Ras Al Khaimah Half Marathon
Ras al-Khaimah, United Arab Emirates		Forty-fifth fastest of all time.
25 kilometres 1:20:5123 April 2017London Marathon
London		 Ethiopian record.
Intermediate time in a longer race.
30 kilometres 1:37:2323 April 2017London Marathon
London		 Third fastest of all time.
Ethiopian record.
Intermediate time in a longer race.
35 kilometres 1:53:5623 April 2017London Marathon
London		Intermediate time in a longer race.
40 kilometres 2:10:5023 April 2017London Marathon
London		Intermediate time in a longer race.
Marathon 2:17:5623 April 2017London Marathon
London		 Fifth fastest of all time.
Former Ethiopian record, broken 25 January 2019.

Indoor