2013 media guide - LA Marathon

THE COMPETITORS
THE COMPETITORS
BIRHANU BEKELE
ETHIOPIA
Age: 31 (Date of Birth: April 20, 1981)
Residence: Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Personal Best: 2:09:41 (Beijing, 2009)
Affiliation: Nike
In 2009, Bekele took fifth in the Beijing Marathon with a time of 2:09:41. The
following year he finished sixth at the Xiamen Marathon, 13th at the Paris
Marathon, and was eighth at the World Half Marathon Championships in
Nanning where he received the bronze medal as part of the Ethiopian team. He
finished the Firenze Marathon in 2:09:52 in 2011 and 2:10:38 in 2012.
ERNEST KEBENEI
KENYA
Age: 28 (Date of Birth: November 20, 1984)
Residence: Kapsabet, Kenya
Personal Best: 2:10:04 (Otsu, 2012)
Affiliation: Adidas
Despite a groin injury, Kebenei won the 2011 Nairobi Marathon with a time of
2:10:54, missing the course record by just 42 seconds. Kebenei went on to reach
his personal best at the 2012 Otso Marathon in Japan where he finished in
2:10:04. He came in third place at the 2012 Southport Australia Marathon with a
time of 2:12:49.
DEMESSEW TSEGA
ETHIOPIA
Age: 25 (Date of Birth: March 13, 1988)
Residence: Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Personal Best: 2:09:44 (Reims, 2011)
Affiliation: Nike
Tsega came in 20th at the Road Race World Championships in 2006 in Debrecen,
helping the Ethiopian team to win the bronze medal at that event. He went on to
win the Reims Marathon in 2011, setting his personal best with a time of 2:09:44.
Tsega finished third at both the 2012 Houston Marathon with a time of 2:11:13
and the 2012 Rome Marathon with a time of 2:10:47.
RIDOUANE HARROUFI
MORROCCO
Age: 31 (Date of Birth: July 30, 1981)
Residence: Casablanca, Morocco
Personal Best: 2:10:14 (Seoul)
Affiliation: Adidas
Harroufi won Washington DC’s Cherry Blossom ten-­‐miler with a time of 45:56,
the fastest time in the event since Simon Rono ran it in 45:51 in 1998. He also
came ninth at the 2010 Chicago Marathon with a time of 2:13:01 and then
finished ninth in the 2011 Fukuoka Marathon with a time of 2:13:40. His personal
best came in the 2008 Seoul Marathon when he ran the race in 2:10:14.
60 ASICS LA MARATHON
MEDIA GUIDE
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