Bezunesh Bekele

Bezunesh Bekele Sertsu was born on January 29, 1983, in Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia. In her early career, she achieved notable success in road races, securing back-to-back victories at the Montferland Run in 2004 and 2005, as well as winning the Rotterdam Half Marathon. Her triumph at the Cross Internacional de Itálica in 2006 highlighted her talent, and she later placed sixth in the short race at the 2006 IAAF World Cross Country Championships. In 2007, she added significant circuit victories, including wins at the Zevenheuvelenloop and the Portugal Half Marathon.

At the 2007 IAAF World Road Running Championships, Bezunesh finished fourth, setting a national half marathon record of 1:08:07. However, this record was later surpassed by Dire Tune, who clocked 1:07:18 at the 2009 Ras Al Khaimah Half Marathon.{{cite news|publisher=IAAF|date=20 February 2009|url=http://www.iaaf.org/news/news/makau-produces-second-fastest-time-ever-tune|title=Makau produces second fastest time ever, Tune clocks national record at RAK Half Marathon - updated|accessdate=5 May 2016}} Bezunesh narrowly missed being selected for the 2008 Ethiopian Olympic team, despite having faster times than Tune, which caused tension between the two runners.{{cite web |last=Negash |first=Elshadai |title=Tune seeks solace in Boston return |publisher=Universal Sports |date=15 April 2009 |url=http://www.universalsports.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=23000&ATCLID=3720279 |accessdate=24 April 2009 |archivedate=17 April 2009 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20090417082300/http://www.universalsports.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=23000&ATCLID=3720279 |url-status=dead |df= }} In 2008, she placed third at the Great Manchester Run, finishing behind Jo Pavey and Rose Cheruiyot.{{cite web|url=http://www.greatrun.org/Events/Information.aspx?ctid=46&id=4 |title=History and Tradition |publisher=Great Run |accessdate=15 May 2009 |archivedate=11 May 2009 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20090511161831/http://www.greatrun.org/events/Information.aspx?ctid=46&id=4 |url-status=dead |df= }}

Bezunesh debuted in the marathon with a time of 2:23:09 at the 2008 Dubai Marathon, securing second place behind Birhane Adere. Her time ranked among the fastest ever for a debut marathon.{{cite news|last=Butcher|first= Pat|date=18 January 2008|url=http://www.iaaf.org/news/news/second-fastest-of-all-time-for-gebre-in-dubai|title=Second fastest of all time for Gebre in Dubai Marathon|publisher=IAAF|accessdate=5 May 2016}} She returned to Dubai in 2009 and won the marathon, beating Atsede Habtamu by over a minute.{{cite news|last=Butcher|first=Pat|date=16 January 2009|url=http://www.iaaf.org/news/news/despite-heavy-rains-gebrselassie-clocks-20529|title=Despite heavy rains, Gebrselassie clocks 2:05:29 in Dubai|publisher=IAAF|accessdate=5 May 2016}} That year, she represented Ethiopia in the marathon at the 2009 World Championships in Athletics, finishing in 16th place. In 2010, she came fourth at the London Marathon with a time of 2:23:17,{{cite news|last=Brown|first=Matthew|date=25 April 2010|accessdate= 5 May 2016|url=http://www.iaaf.org/news/report/commanding-victories-for-kebede-and-shobukhov|title=Commanding victories for Kebede and Shobukhova - London Marathon report|publisher=IAAF}} and later secured second place at the Berlin Marathon with a time of 2:24:58.{{cite news|last=Butcher|first=Pat|date=26 September 2010|title=Makau and Kebede triumph in rainy Berlin|url=http://www.iaaf.org/news/news/makau-and-kebede-triumph-in-rainy-berlin|publisher=IAAF|accessdate=5 May 2016}}

In the 2011 London Marathon, Bezunesh achieved the best result by an Ethiopian runner, finishing fourth in 2:23:42.{{cite news|last=Brown|first=Matthew|date=17 April 2011|title=Mutai and Keitany dominate and dazzle in London|url=http://www.iaaf.org/news/news/mutai-and-keitany-dominate-and-dazzle-in-lond|publisher=IAAF|accessdate=5 May 2016}} She again finished fourth at the 2011 World Championships in Athletics, narrowly missing a medal. In 2012, Bezunesh improved her personal best with a time of 2:20:30 at the Dubai Marathon, ranking as the third fastest Ethiopian woman and one of the top twenty fastest women for the event.{{cite news|last=Butcher|first=Pat|date=27 January 2012|publisher=IAAF|url= http://www.iaaf.org/news/news/abshero-stuns-with-20423-debut-mergia-clocks|title=Abshero stuns with 2:04:23 debut, Mergia clocks 2:19:31 in Dubai|accessdate=5 May 2016}}

Later in 2012, she placed fourth at the Yangzhou Half Marathon but improved during the year, winning the Great Scottish Run and setting a personal best of 51:45 in the 10-mile race at the Dam tot Damloop, where she finished second.{{cite news|url=http://www.iaaf.org/news/news/komon-defends-dam-to-dam-title|title=Komon defends Dam to Dam title|publisher=IAAF|date=23 September 2012|accessdate=27 January 2013}} She capped off the year with a fourth-place finish at the Frankfurt Marathon.{{cite news|last=Butcher|first=Pat|date=28 October 2012|url=http://www.iaaf.org/news/report/patience-pays-for-makau-in-frankfurt-debut-wi|title=Patience pays for Makau in Frankfurt, debut win for Melkamu|publisher=IAAF|accessdate=27 January 2013}}

Bezunesh is married to fellow Ethiopian marathon runner Tessema Abshiro, who is also a member of the Ethiopian national team.

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• {{World Athletics}}

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{{succession box|title=Rotterdam Women's Half Marathon Winner|

before={{flagicon|KEN}} Lydia Cheromei|

after={{flagicon|GBR}} Mara Yamauchi|

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Category:1983 births

Category:Living people

Category:Ethiopian female marathon runners

Category:Ethiopian female long-distance runners

Category:Athletes from Addis Ababa