Tomas Abyu (born 5 May 1978) is an Ethiopian-born British

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 ...

. Abyu grew up in the Arsi region of Ethiopia, as a junior he trained with

Gezahegne Abera Gezahegne Abera ( Amharic: ገዛሄኘ አበራ; born April 23, 1978) is an Ethiopian athlete, winner of the marathon race at the 2000 Summer Olympics. Born in Etya, Arsi Province, Gezahegne's first international competition was the ...

. Abyu left Ethiopia where his father had been killed in the civil war. He came to the United Kingdom as a political refugee and was given asylum in 2000, becoming a British citizen in 2005. Abyu made his

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 ...

debut in Manchester in October 2002, winning the event in 2:25:28. He transferred allegiance in 2006 becoming eligible to represent Great Britain in athletics. He improved to record a marathon personal best of 2:10:37, finishing second, at the

Dublin Marathon The Dublin Marathon is an annual 26.2 mile (42.2 km) road marathon in Dublin, Ireland, held on the last Sunday in October. Prior to 2016, the race took place on the last Monday in October, which is a public holiday in Ireland. Held each year ...

in Oct 2007. The time was better than Beijing Olympic British team qualifying time (2:12), but the Dublin Marathon was not a recognized event, so Abyu needed to meet the qualifying time at the 2008

London Marathon The London Marathon is an annual marathon held in London, United Kingdom, and is the 2nd largest annual road race in the UK, after the Great North Run in Newcastle. Founded by athletes Chris Brasher and John Disley in 1981, it is typically held ...

. Unfortunately he finished in a time of 2:15:49, placed 16th and the second Britain behind Dan Robinson.RunBritain London Marathon result 2008
/ref> Thomas_Abyu_2007

International competition

Other Races

References

External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Abyu, Tomas 1978 births Living people Ethiopian male long-distance runners British male long-distance runners Ethiopian male marathon runners British male marathon runners Sportspeople from Oromia Region Ethiopian emigrants to the United Kingdom Naturalised citizens of the United Kingdom