The Ethiopian set the records at the Golden Spike meet in June in Ostrava, Czech Republic. In both events, he broke 16-year-old previous marks set by Arturo Barrios of Mexico in La Fleche, France.
Gebrselassie ran 21 285m (12.77 miles) in one hour to surpass Barrios’ mark by 184m. He also finished 20 000m in 56 minutes, 25.98 seconds. Barrios had timed 56:55.6.
The IAAF also ratified Meseret Defar’s world record in the 5 000m. The Ethiopian ran 14:16.63 at the Bislett Games in Oslo, Norway, in June to beat her own mark of 14:24.53 set in New York last year.
Source: SAPA
A terrible tragedy struck the Ethiopian community and the Boston chapter of Kinijit earlier this morning when two active members of the community died in a car accident. The two individuals, Ashenafi Mekonnen and Getnet Abate, were returning from a hotel after dropping off Dr Moges Gebremariam who attended a fund raising event last night organized by Kinijit-Boston. The following is a report by The Boston Globe.
Two dead, three injured in overnight crash in Stoneham
By April Simpson, Globe Correspondent
July 29, 2007
Two are dead and three are injured after an early morning accident on Route 93 in Stoneham, State Police said.
At about 2:20 a.m., a Honda SUV traveling south on Route 93 just past exit 34 crossed over a median into the northbound lane and collided with a Ford Ranger, police said.
The driver of the Honda, Ashenafi K. Mekonnen, 45, and his passenger, Getnet Abate, 37, both of Cambridge, were pronounced dead at the scene. Another passenger, Atikem Adissu, 27, of Cambridge, was transported to Mass General Hospital for injuries.
The driver of the 1993 Ford pickup, Randall Howard, 49, and his passenger, Luann Kachmer, 42, both of Westbrook, Maine, were transported to Mass General with “moderate” injuries, state police said.
Police have not yet determined whether speed was a factor, or if any of the drivers or passengers were wearing seatbelts. They have also not determined whether alcohol or drugs were involved.
Initial reports erroneously said Weber Medeiros, 43, of Lowell, caused the accident, but state police said later he was not involved. Medeiros was arrested near the site of the crash and charged with operating under the influence, but was not directly involved, state police said.
By Jim Whiting
The Seattle Times
Nineteen-year-old Abera Temesegan of Ethiopia nearly set a course record in winning Saturday night’s Seafair Torchlight Run. His time of 24 minutes, 32 seconds for the 8-kilometer course was just four seconds off Nick Rogers’ 2005 standard of 24:28.
Anca Ilau, 24, of Romania headed the women, finishing in 27:52. Last year’s winner, Malika Mejdoub, was second in 28:44.
All three live and train in Vancouver, Wash., under coach/agent Adam Gremali.
Temesegan, who has been in the United States for just a month, was running his third race since his arrival. He took the early lead.
“I was by myself the whole race,” he said.
The crowds lining the Torchlight Parade route buoyed him.
“They inspired me to pick up the pace,” he said.
The crowds weren’t the only source of inspiration for him. He didn’t start running until he was 16.
“I saw some of our great runners on television and it inspired me to represent my country,” he said.
Despite getting a relatively late start in the sport, he has already run 27:30 in a 10K and is currently waiting for a Nike shoe contract.
Ilau has been in the United States for nearly a year. This wasn’t her first visit to Seattle as she won the Nordstrom Beat the Bridge Run in May. Her 10K personal best is 33:43.
For Betsy Merritt of Washington, D.C., her husband, Jim Bird, and her sister, Katey Merritt, the race had an entirely different meaning as they happily crossed the finish line in about 1:05. They were among the final half-dozen finishers.
Betsy Merritt, originally from Seattle, ran the race several years ago. “It was the most fun race in my entire life,” she said.
So when it came time for her sister to run her first race, the choice was obvious. She and Bird circled the weekend that included the Torchlight Race for a trip to Seattle so they could accompany her.
Katey Merritt’s first reaction was “My feet hurt.” A few minutes later, she added, “It was exhilarating. I decided to learn how to run for my 50th birthday, and now I’m in my first race a year later.”
Adam Mina won the accompanying 5K race, and Kristen Lind won the women’s 5K.
The combined entrants in the two races exceeded 3,000. According to a show of hands before the 8K, officials estimated at least 70 percent ran the race for the first time.
Seafair Torchlight Run At Seattle
8K RESULTS
MEN — 1. Abera Temesegan, 19, Vancouver, 24:32; 2. Mike Heidt, 24, Shoreline, 24:49; 3. Ben Mangrum, 28, Tacoma, 25:20; 4. Henrik Groseth, 34, Seattle, 25:27; 5. Sean Sunderworth, Seattle, 25:31; 6. Jonathan Marcus, Seattle, 25:36; 7. Leif Kohler, 22, Seattle, 25:44; 8. Joshua Ricardi, 25, Seattle, 25:49; 9. Patrick McAuliffe, 23, Seattle, 25:57; 10. Yonatan Yilma, 18, Seattle, 25:59.
WOMEN — 1. Anca Ilau, 24, Vancouver, 27:52; 2. Malika Mejdoub, Vancouver, 28:44; 3. Lauren Grossbard, 28, Seattle, 29:21; 4. Liz Wilson, 39, Bothell, 29:27; 5. Sarna Becke, 30, Bremerton, 29:50; 6. Megan Johnson, 25, Seattle, 30:26; 7. Larish Manuel, 25, Seattle, 30:29; 8. Brittany Hodgson, 21, Tacoma, 30:32; 9. Rose Wetzel, 25, Seattle, 31:40; 10. Heather Gilbertson, 35, Seattle, 31:56.
Meles buys Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Majority Leader Hoyer
Ephrem Isaac lobbied hard against H.R. 2003
The Coalition for HR 2003 has learned that Foreign Affairs Committee Chair Tom Lantos was directed by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (San Francisco) and Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (Maryland) not to mark-up H.R. 2003 on July 31, 2007. The reasons for the directive are not clear.
Preliminary investigations suggest that neither Chairman Tom Lantos nor Chairman Donald Payne were consulted prior to issuance of the directive.
The Coalition is informed and believes that over the past few days, Meles Zenawi’s lobbyists from DLA Piper, State Department officials and others were engaged in intense lobbying of Pelosi and Hoyer.
Recent reports in national newspapers and magazines in the United States have documented the involvement of DLA Piper lobbyists to defeat H.R. 2003.
The Coalition has further learned that Prof. Ephrem Isaac, who has recently been masquerading as a “shimagle”, has been engaged in intense lobbying efforts against H.R. 2003 in Congress. He was observed visiting various congressional offices today chaperoned and accompanied by Congressman Gary Ackerman of New York. The Coalition is investigating information that Ephrem Isaac is mobilizing powerful Jewish leaders and groups in the United States against H.R. 2003.
The Coalition respectfully notifies Ethiopian Americans in California and Maryland, particularly in the congressional districts of Pelosi and Hoyer, to prepare for vigorous and intense advocacy in the coming days.
The Coalition will provide further statement on these developments shortly. The Coalition will prepare an advocacy action plan in the near future.
The Washington DC-based Addis Dimts Radio will hold a fund raising concert Sunday, July 29, 2007. The concert will include a cultural show involving several popular Ethiopian musicians.