Amane Gobena Gemeda (born 11 September 1982)Amane Gobena
. Elite Sports Management International. Retrieved on 2010-10-19. is an Ethiopian

long-distance runner Long-distance running, or endurance running, is a form of continuous running over distances of at least . Physiologically, it is largely Aerobic exercise, aerobic in nature and requires endurance, stamina as well as mental strength. Within e ...

who competes primarily in

road running Road running is the sport of running on a measured course over an established road. This differs from track and field on a regular track and cross country running over natural terrain. These events are usually classified as long-distance ac ...

events. She has a

marathon The marathon is a long-distance foot race with a distance of , usually run as a road race, but the distance can be covered on trail routes. The marathon can be completed by running or with a run/walk strategy. There are also wheelchair div ...

best of 2:23:50 hours. She began her international career in

cross country running Cross country running is a sport in which teams and individuals run a race on open-air courses over natural terrain such as dirt or grass. The course, typically long, may include surfaces of grass and earth, pass through woodlands and open coun ...

and was part of the Ethiopian team which won the

gold medal A gold medal is a medal awarded for highest achievement in a non-military field. Its name derives from the use of at least a fraction of gold in form of plating or alloying in its manufacture. Since the eighteenth century, gold medals have bee ...

in the short race at the

2002 IAAF World Cross Country Championships The 2002 IAAF World Cross Country Championships took place on March 23/24, 2002. The races were held at the Leopardstown Racecourse, Dún Laoghaire–Rathdown, near Dublin, Ireland. Reports of the event were given in ''The New York Times'', ...

. After modest performances on the

track Track or Tracks may refer to: Routes or imprints * Ancient trackway, any track or trail whose origin is lost in antiquity * Animal track, imprints left on surfaces that an animal walks across * Desire path, a line worn by people taking the shorte ...

, she found success by switching to road races in 2007. The 2009 season saw marked improvement as she won the

Cooper River Bridge Run The Cooper River Bridge Run is a one-way road running event across the Arthur Ravenel Jr. Bridge held in the cities of Mount Pleasant and Charleston in South Carolina, on the first Saturday in April (had been first Sunday of April in 1978, first ...

and

Monument Avenue 10K The Ukrop's Monument Avenue 10K, also known as the Monument Avenue 10K, is an annual 10-kilometer road running event, sanctioned by USA Track and Field. The race is run on historic Monument Avenue in Richmond, Virginia. Begun in 2000, the race h ...

races. She then went on to take her first

win at the

Toronto Waterfront Marathon The Toronto Waterfront Marathon is an annual marathon held in Toronto, Ontario, Canada in October. The race day also includes a half marathon and 5 km race. The race has quickly become an elite level marathon and is one of just five World A ...

, breaking the course record in only her third outing over the distance. She enjoyed success in East Asia at the start of 2010, winning both the

Osaka Ladies Marathon The is an annual marathon road race for women over the classic distance of 42.195 kilometres which is held on the 4th or 5th Sunday of January in the city of Osaka, Japan, and hosted by Japan Association of Athletics Federations, Kansai T ...

and

Seoul International Marathon The Seoul International Marathon, also known as the ''Dong-A Ilbo Seoul Marathon or Seoul Marathon'' is an annual marathon race that takes place in Seoul, South Korea. It is one of two annual races over the 42.195 km classic distance in the ...

. Amane also gained her first major wins over other distances that year by taking first place at the

Göteborgsvarvet Göteborgsvarvet () is an annual half marathon running competition in Gothenburg, Sweden (often called the Gothenburg Half Marathon in English). It is the largest annual running competition in the world in terms of entries, with its 62,000 ent ...

half marathon A half marathon is a road running event of —half the distance of a marathon. It is common for a half marathon event to be held concurrently with a marathon or a 5K race, using almost the same course with a late start, an early finish or shortcu ...

and winning her first national title in the

10,000 metres The 10,000 metres or the 10,000-metre run is a common long-distance track running event. The event is part of the athletics programme at the Olympic Games and the World Athletics Championships, and is common at championship level events. The race ...

Career

Early career

Her first top level performances came in cross country and she finished eighth in the short race at the

Dublin Dublin (; , or ) is the capital and largest city of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. On a bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster, bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, a part of th ...

, a placing which helped the women's Ethiopian team (including

Werknesh Kidane Werknesh Kidane (; born November 21, 1981), is an Ethiopian long distance runner from Tigray who competes in both 5000 and 10,000 metres. She has won numerous medals at the IAAF World Cross Country Championships and represented Ethiopia at the S ...

, Abebech Negussie and Genet Gebregiorgis) to the

in the team competition. She competed in track races in Europe in the 2003–2004 and among her performances was a

5000 metres The 5000 metres or 5000-metre run is a common long-distance running event in track and field, approximately equivalent to or . It is one of the track events in the Olympic Games and the World Championships in Athletics, run over laps of a stan ...

personal best of 15:19.50, set at the Grand Prix Regione Lombardia in 2004 where she finished fourth. That year she also represented her country at the World Cross Country Championships for a second time, although her eleventh-place finish left her out of the top four Ethiopians who took the team gold.

Road running

She made her debut in the 10K in 2005 and took second place in a race in

Ratingen Ratingen ( li, Rotinge) is a town in the district of Mettmann in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It lies in the northwestern part of Berg about 12 km northeast of Düsseldorf. Administration With a communal reform of 1975 the independent mu ...

, finishing behind

Teyba Erkesso Teyba Erkesso Wako (born 30 October 1982 in Arsi) is an Ethiopian runner who specializes in road running (including the half marathon and marathon) as well as cross-country running. She began running for Ethiopia internationally at the ag ...

. She also ran at the

Golden Spike Ostrava Golden Spike ( cz, Zlatá tretra) is an annual athletics event at the Městský Stadion in Ostrava- Vítkovice, Czech Republic as part of the IAAF World Challenge Meetings. It was first organized in 1961. The history of the meeting was interru ...

meeting in June and placed fifth over 5000 m. After taking time out from

athletics Athletics may refer to: Sports * Sport of athletics, a collection of sporting events that involve competitive running, jumping, throwing, and walking ** Track and field, a sub-category of the above sport * Athletics (physical culture), competiti ...

in 2006, she returned to focus on road races and enjoyed podium finishes in the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

. She was runner-up at the Peachtree 10K and

Bolder Boulder The Bolder Boulder (styled as BOLDERBoulder and previously BolderBOULDER) is an annual 10-kilometer run in Boulder, Colorado. The most recent race featured over 54,000 runners, walkers, and wheelchair racers, making it the second largest 10k rac ...

races, as well as the

, where she was beaten by her compatriot Rehima Kedir but set a personal best of 32:12 for the 10K. She also won the six-mile Nacht von Borgholzhausen race in

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...

in June that year. In 2008, she took wins on the global road circuit at the

Abu Dhabi Abu Dhabi (, ; ar, أَبُو ظَبْيٍ ' ) is the capital and second-most populous city (after Dubai) of the United Arab Emirates. It is also the capital of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi and the centre of the Abu Dhabi Metropolitan Area. ...

7K and the Wharf to Wharf 6-miler. Other performances included runner-up spots at the

Freihofer's Run for Women Freihofer's Run for Women is an annual five-kilometer road running competition for women that is usually held in late May or early June in Albany, New York, United States. First held in 1979, the race has grown into a sizable event that holds IAA ...

5K and Bolder Boulder. She stepped up to the

that year and ran the distance twice in France: she won the Le Lion Half Marathon in

Montbéliard Montbéliard (; traditional ) is a town in the Doubs Departments of France, department in the Bourgogne-Franche-Comté Regions of France, region in eastern France, about from the border with Switzerland. It is one of the two Subprefectures in F ...

(setting a best of 1:12:16) and also won another race in Vemux.

Marathon debut

Amane made her debut in the

in January 2009 at the

Houston Marathon The Houston Marathon is an annual marathon usually held every January in Houston, Texas, United States, since 1972. With thousands of runners and spectators, it is the largest single day sporting event in the city. It is run concurrently wi ...

and she managed to finish in fifth place. At the

Ras Al Khaimah Half Marathon Ras Al Khaimah Half Marathon is an annual half marathon held in Ras Al Khaimah, United Arab Emirates. History The first event, in 2007, saw Samuel Wanjiru breaking the world record, but Wanjiru himself set a new world record only a month later in ...

the following month she set a personal best of 1:08:16 to take sixth place in the women's race. Her next outing came at the

Los Angeles Marathon The Los Angeles Marathon (formerly known as the City of Los Angeles Marathon) is an annual running event typically held each spring in Los Angeles, California, since 1986. The marathon was inspired by the success of the 1984 Summer Olympic Ga ...

in March and she headed to the front of the pack, but was overtaken by Tatyana Petrova in the latter stages of the race. Still, her time of 2:26:53 for second place marked a successful transition to the longer distance. She competed extensively in the United States that summer, starting with wins at the Cooper River Bridge Run and

. A fifth place at the Peachtree Road Race was followed up by a third-place finish at the Boilermaker Road Race. Amane ran her third marathon of the year at the

. She duelled against

Mulu Seboka Mulu Seboka Seyfu (born 25 September 1984) is an Ethiopian long-distance runner who competes mainly in marathons. She represented Ethiopia in the marathon at the 2005 World Championships in Athletics and in the half marathon at the 2006 IAAF World ...

, another Ethiopian runner and the defending champion, in the earlier stages but then pulled away around the 40 km to earn her first win over the distance, breaking the course record with a run of 2:28:30 in the process. She brought a busy year to a close with two runs in September, taking eighth at the

Delhi Half Marathon Airtel Delhi Half Marathon (ADHM) is an annual half marathon foot-race held in New Delhi, India. Established in 2005, it is both an elite runner and mass participation event. It is an AIMS-certified course and is listed as a Gold Label Road Rac ...

before securing the runner-up position behind Koreni Jelila at the

Great Ethiopian Run The Great Ethiopian Run ( am, ታላቁ ሩጫ በኢትዮጵያ) is an annual 10-kilometre road running event which takes place in late November in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Overview The competition was first envisioned by neighbors Ethiopian runn ...

10K. She soon returned to the starting line in 2010 and improved her best mark en route to winning the

in January, becoming the first Ethiopian ever to do so in almost thirty years of competition. An appearance at the Zayed International Half Marathon came later in the month, but she was some way off winner

Mary Keitany Mary Jepkosgei Keitany (born 18 January 1982) is a Kenyan former professional long distance runner. She is the world record holder in a women-only marathon, having won the 2017 London Marathon in a time of 2:17:01. As of November 2022, she plac ...

and finished in fifth. She continued her Asian tour at the

and took her second victory of the year, outpacing

Zhou Chunxiu Zhou Chunxiu (; born November 15, 1978, in Sheqi County, Henan) is a Chinese marathon runner. She competed at the 2008 Olympic Games, finishing the marathon in 3rd place. She placed fourth in the marathon at the 2005 World Championsh ...

and setting a career best of 2:24:13 for the distance. Amane won her first national title at the

Ethiopian Athletics Championships The Ethiopian Athletics Championships is an annual outdoor track and field competition organised by the Ethiopian Athletics Federation, which serves as the national championship for the sport in Ethiopia. The competition was first held in 1971.

with a

track win over

Genet Getaneh Genet Getaneh Wendimagegnehu (born 6 January 1986) is an Ethiopian professional long-distance runner who competes in half marathon and marathon competitions. She represented Ethiopia at the IAAF World Half Marathon Championships in 2007 and 2008 ...

. She gained her first high-profile win in the half marathon at the

that May. She then returned to the United States for the summer circuit, running at the Freihofer's Run for Women (eighth) and the Bolder Boulder, where she completed an Ethiopian 1–2 behind Mamitu Daska. She was third at the

Istanbul Eurasia Marathon The Istanbul Marathon ( tr, İstanbul Maratonu, also known as N Kolay Istanbul Marathon for sponsorship reasons) is an international athletics event hosted in Istanbul, Turkey, in November, first held in 1979. It is the only marathon in the ...

as her national rival Ashu Kasim won in a course record time. She won the

Xiamen Marathon The Xiamen International Marathon () is an annual marathon race held in January in the coastal city of Xiamen in Fujian province, People's Republic of China. It is one of the prominent marathon races of the year. More than 50,000 runners took p ...

in January 2011 in her first race of the year. She attempted to defend her title in Seoul, but was unsuccessful as she ended the race in tenth place. Amane missed 18 months of competition and return in November 2012 with a runner-up finish at the

Istanbul Marathon The Istanbul Marathon ( tr, İstanbul Maratonu, also known as N Kolay Istanbul Marathon for sponsorship reasons) is an international athletics event hosted in Istanbul, Turkey, in November, first held in 1979. It is the only marathon in the w ...

. The following January she ran a personal best at the 2013

Dubai Marathon The Dubai Marathon is an annual road-based marathon hosted by Dubai, United Arab Emirates, since 1998. The marathon is categorized as a Gold Label Road Race by World Athletics. History Initial era The inaugural Dubai Marathon was held ...

, taking third with her run of 2:23:50 hours. She placed seventh at the

Paris Marathon The Paris Marathon (french: Marathon de Paris) is an annual marathon hosted by the city of Paris, France. It is the marathon with the second-most finishers in the world, behind the New York City Marathon. The marathon begins along the Champs ...

and came third at the

Bogotá Half Marathon The Bogotá International Half Marathon ( es, Media Maratón Internacional de Bogotá), or mmB as it is traditionally known, is an annual road running competition over a half marathon distance () taking place in Bogotá, Colombia in late July ...

. She won the 2014 Istanbul Marathon in 2:28:47 in front of her countrywoman Salomie Getnet.

Major competition record

Road wins

* Nacht von Borgholzhausen: 2006 * Wharf to Wharf: 2007 * Le Lion Half Marathon: 2007 *

: 2009 *

: 2010 *

Xiamen International Marathon The Xiamen International Marathon () is an annual marathon race held in January in the coastal city of Xiamen in Fujian province, People's Republic of China. It is one of the prominent marathon races of the year. More than 50,000 runners took p ...

: 2011 *

: 2014, 2015

Notes

* Her name has been transliterated in a number of ways, including ''Amina Godana'', ''Amane Godana'', and ''Amane Gubena''. * Amane is her

given name A given name (also known as a forename or first name) is the part of a personal name quoted in that identifies a person, potentially with a middle name as well, and differentiates that person from the other members of a group (typically a fa ...

while Gobena is her

patronymic A patronymic, or patronym, is a component of a personal name based on the given name of one's father, grandfather (avonymic), or an earlier male ancestor. Patronymics are still in use, including mandatory use, in many countries worldwide, alt ...

name (see

Habesha name The naming convention used in Eritrea and Ethiopia does not have family names and typically consists of an individual personal name and a separate patronymic. This is similar to Arabic name, Arabic, Icelandic name, Icelandic, and Somali name, Soma ...

References

External links

*
Marathon profile
{{DEFAULTSORT:Gobena, Amane 1982 births Living people Ethiopian female long-distance runners Ethiopian female marathon runners Ethiopian female cross country runners 21st-century Ethiopian women