Lelisa Desisa

{{Infobox sportsperson

|name = Lelisa Desisa

|image = Lelisa Desisa Benti boston marathon 2013.jpg

|image_size = 180px

|caption = Lelisa Desisa Benti, male winner of 2013 Boston Marathon, almost at the end of the Wellesley College scream tunnel.

|birth_name =

|nationality = Ethiopian

|birth_date = {{birth date and age|1990|1|14|df=y}}

|birth_place = Shewa, Oromia, Ethiopia

|height =

|weight =

|sport = Athletics

|event = Long-distance running

|club =

|pb = {{unbulleted list

|10,000 m: 27:11.98 (Hengelo 2012)

|Half marathon: 59:30 (New Delhi 2011)

|Marathon: 2:04:45 (Dubai 2013)

}}

|medaltemplates =

{{MedalCountry|{{ETH}}}}

}}

Lelisa Desisa Benti (born 14 January 1990) is a retired Ethiopian long-distance runner who specialises in road running competitions. Desisa gained his first international medal at the 2009 African Junior Athletics Championships, where he took the 10,000 metres gold medal.Ouma, Mark (31 July 2009). [http://www.iaaf.org/news/kind=100/newsid=52412.html African Junior champs, Day 2]. IAAF. Retrieved on 27 November 2010.

Biography

Born in Shewa zone, Oromia regional state of Ethiopia, Desisa made his breakthrough on to the senior international scene at road races in 2010, beginning with a sub-60-minute run for third place at the Zayed International Half Marathon in January.Zorzi, Alberto (8 January 2010). [http://www.iaaf.org/WHM10/news/kind=100/newsid=55247.html Fast wins for Keitany and Regassa in Abu Dhabi Half]. IAAF. Retrieved on 27 November 2010. He engaged Wilson Kiprop in a sprint finish at the Paris Half Marathon two months later, ending up in second place.Vazel, Pierre Jean (7 March 2010). [http://www.iaaf.org/LRR10/news/newsid=55779.html Beating the wind and chill, Kiprop and Bayisa take Paris Half wins]. IAAF. Retrieved on 27 November 2010. He took to the United States road circuit and was sixth at the Crescent City Classic before taking the runner-up spot at the Cherry Blossom Ten Mile Run behind Stephen Tum.[http://www.esmintl.com/athleteDetails.asp?id=147 Lelisa Desisa Profile] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110109155658/http://www.esmintl.com/athleteDetails.asp?id=147 |date=9 January 2011 }}. Elite Sports Management. Retrieved on 27 November 2010.Hage, Jim (12 April 2010). [https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/04/11/AR2010041103550.html Tum, Chepkurui are Cherry Blossom winners]. Washington Post. Retrieved on 27 November 2010. He won the Ottawa 10K in May and led an Ethiopian podium sweep with a win at the Bolder Boulder two days later.[http://www.iaaf.org/LRR10/news/newsid=56893.html Desisa and Tune take Ottawa 10Km titles]. IAAF (30 May 2010). Retrieved on 27 November 2010.Stapleton, Arnie (31 May 2010). [https://www.usatoday.com/sports/olympics/2010-05-31-1584583324_x.htm Ethiopian men finish 1–2–3 in Bolder Boulder]. USA Today. Retrieved on 27 November 2010. That July, he came third in a sprint for the line at the Peachtree Road Race and won the Boilermaker Road Race in Utica in a near course record time.[http://www.wktv.com/boilermaker/news/Mens-Interview-98183289.html Post race interview with Boilermaker 15K Men’s winner Lelisa Desisa]. WKTV (10 July 2010). Retrieved on 27 November 2010. He received his first senior international call-up for the 2010 IAAF World Half Marathon Championships. He came seventh overall, recording a time of 1:01:28 alongside his compatriot Birhanu Bekele to secure the team bronze medal for the Ethiopians.Ramsak, Bob (16 October 2010). [http://www.iaaf.org/WHM10/news/kind=100/newsid=58537.html Kiprop dethrones Tadese – Men’s Race – Nanning 2010]. IAAF. Retrieved on 27 November 2010. He set a new half marathon best (59:39 minutes) in November at the Delhi Half Marathon and finished one second behind winner Geoffrey Mutai.Murali, Ram. Krishnan (21 November 2010). [http://www.iaaf.org/LRR10/news/newsid=58774.html Mergia recaptures women’s crown, Mutai foils Ethiopian sweep at Delhi Half Marathon]. IAAF. Retrieved on 27 November 2010.

He came close to a personal best at the World's Best 10K in February 2011, taking third place in a time of 28:02 minutes.Clavelo Robinson, Javier (28 February 2011). [http://www.iaaf.org/LRR11/news/newsid=59421.html Kitwara regains title, Ejigu notches victorious 10km debut in San Juan]. IAAF. Retrieved on 1 March 2011. This served as preparation for the City-Pier-City Loop in March, where he came out on top in a five-man sprint finish to record a personal best of 59:37 minutes for the half marathon.van Hemert, Wim (14 March 2011). [http://www.iaaf.org/news/kind=100/newsid=59514.html Desisa and Chepcirchir take fast Half Marathon wins in The Hague]. IAAF. Retrieved on 17 March 2011. In a two-day period, he won the Cooper River Bridge Run and then broke the course record at the Cherry Blossom 10-Miler, improving upon a mark that had stood for 16 years.[http://www.ethiosun.com/2011/04/ethiopian-lelisa-desisa-wins-cherry-blossom-10-mile-run/ Ethiopian Lelisa Desisa wins Cherry Blossom 10 Mile Run]. Ethiosun. Retrieved on 14 May 2011. That June he reached the podium at the World 10K Bangalore, coming third behind Kenyan opposition.Krishnan, Ram. Murali (5 June 2011). [http://www.iaaf.org/LRR11/news/newsid=60242.html Limo and Tune prevail in Bangalore 10Km]. IAAF. Retrieved on 5 June 2011. He was not selected for the World Championships that year but instead won the half marathon at the 2011 All-Africa Games held that same month. In November, he returned to Delhi and ran a best of 59:30 minutes to win the half marathon race, beating Geoffrey Kipsang by a second.Krishnan, Ram. Murali (27 November 2011). [http://www.iaaf.org/LRR11/news/newsid=63005.html In close races, Desisa and Kabuu prevail in New Delhi Half]. IAAF. Retrieved on 27 November 2011.

In June 2012, he ran a personal best of 27:18.17 minutes to win the 10,000 metres in Liège. He was selected as an Olympic squad reserve as a result.Hendrix, Ivo (6 July 2012). [http://www.iaaf.org/news/newsid=65597.html Rotich 1:43.62, Desisa Benti 27:18.17 in Liège]. IAAF. Retrieved on 9 July 2012. A 5000 metres best of 13:22.91 minutes came in June, but ultimately he did not compete at the Olympics. He tried to defend his title at the Delhi Half Marathon but managed only seventh place.Krishnan, Ram. Murali (30 September 2012). [http://www.iaaf.org/news/report/kipyego-wude-take-honours-in-delhi-report Kipyego, Wude take honours in Delhi – REPORT]. IAAF. Retrieved on 23 February 2013.

In his debut over the marathon distance, he made one of the fastest-ever debuts by winning the 2013 Dubai Marathon in a time of 2:04:45 hours. He was surprised by the quick time and said he would like to make a world record attempt in the future.Butcher, Pat (25 January 2013). [http://www.iaaf.org/news/report/debutant-desisa-wins-dubai-marathon-in-20445 Debutant Desisa wins Dubai Marathon in 2:04:45, five men under 2:05]. IAAF. Retrieved on 23 February 2013. Three months later, in the 2013 Boston Marathon, he took the victory in a time of 2:10:22. Desisa was not hurt in the Boston Marathon bombing that occurred after his victory because the bombing took place nearly 3 hours after he passed through the finish line.[https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/olympics/2013/04/15/lelisa-desisa-rita-jeptoo-boston-marathon/2084501/ AP via USA Today: Lelisa Desisa, Rita Jeptoo win Boston Marathon] Desisa later, in a widely acclaimed gesture, returned his 2013 Boston Marathon winner medal back to the city, in order to honor the victims of the bombings.[https://www.nytimes.com/2014/04/18/sports/aiming-to-reclaim-a-marathon-triumph-made-irrelevant-by-tragedy.html NYT: His Win Obscured, Runner Left Mark Off the Course]

File:2016 Boston Marathon lead men at mile 19.jpg as they pass mile 19 during the 2016 Boston Marathon, but Hayle went on to win; Desisa came in second.]]

Desisa won the 2015 Boston Marathon on 20 April 2015 with a time of 2:09:17.{{Cite web|title = Lelisa Desisa Wins Second Boston Marathon Crown in Three Year Span|url = http://www.baa.org/news-and-press/news-listing/2015/april/lelisa-desisa-wins-second-boston-marathon-crown-in-three-year-span.aspx|website = www.baa.org|access-date = 22 April 2015}} He came in second in 2016 to fellow Ethiopian Lemi Berhanu Hayle.

On 6 May 2017, Desisa participated in Nike's Breaking2 attempt to run a sub-2-hour marathon. Desisa continued until around kilometer 18, when he began to slow and fell off the projected sub-2-hour pace. Eliud Kipchoge won the race in 2:00:25, Tadese was second in 2:06:51, and Desisa was third with a time of 2:14:10. Although Desisa was way far off from actually breaking the barrier, former athlete and world record holder Paula Radcliffe said: "He is still very young, at only 27... Once he figures it all out and matures a bit more, he will be unstoppable".

Desisa won the 2018 New York City Marathon on 4 November 2018 with a time of 2:05:59.{{Cite news|title = Lelisa Desisa Wins Men's Title at the 2018 New York City Marathon. Mary Keitany Wins the Women's Race. |url = https://www.nytimes.com/2018/11/04/sports/lelisa-desisa-wins-mens-title-at-the-2018-new-york-city-marathon-mary-keitany-wins-the-womens-race.html|newspaper = The New York Times|date = 4 November 2018|access-date = 4 November 2018}}

On 5 October 2019, Desisa became the World champion in men's marathon by running a season's best of 2:10:40 at the 2019 World Athletics Championships in Doha.{{cite web|url=https://media.aws.iaaf.org/competitiondocuments/pdf/6033/AT-MAR-M-f----.RS6.pdf|title=Marathon Men − Final − Results|publisher=IAAF|date=5 October 2019|access-date=6 October 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200627234043/https://media.aws.iaaf.org/competitiondocuments/pdf/6033/AT-MAR-M-f----.RS6.pdf|archive-date=27 June 2020}} Less than a month later on 3 November 2019 Lelisa tried to defend his New York City marathon title. However, he DNFed and Kenya's Geoffrey Kamworor went on to win the race.

Lelisa had one marathon race in 2020, where he finished 35th at the Valencia Marathon in a time of 2:10:44 in December. Kenya's Evans Chebet won the race in a time of 2:03:00.

In 2021 Lelisa took part in the Ethiopian Olympic Marathon Trials in Sebeta, Ethiopia, he finished 2nd in a close race between winner Shura Kitata, and 3rd place finished Sisay Lemma. Lelisa's performance qualifies him to compete for Ethiopia at the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games men's marathon. {{Cite web|url=https://worldathletics.org/competitions/olympic-games/news/ethiopian-marathon-trials-2021|title = Ethiopian marathon team's road to Tokyo begins with success in Sebeta | REPORTS | World Athletics}}

Achievements

=World Marathon Majors=

World Marathon Majors	2013	2014	2015	2016	2017	2018 !2019
class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"
Tokyo Marathon	–	–	–	–	–	–	–
Boston Marathon	style="background: gold;" \| 1st	DNF	style="background: gold;" \| 1st	style="background: silver;" \| 2nd	–	DNF	style="background: silver;" \| 2nd
London Marathon	–	–	–	–	–	–	–
Berlin Marathon	–	–	–	–	–	–	–
Chicago Marathon	–	–	–	–	–	–	–
New York City Marathon	–	style="background: silver;" \| 2nd	style="background: DarkGoldenrod;" \| 3rd	DNF	style="background: DarkGoldenrod;" \| 3rd	style="background: gold;" \| 1st	DNF