Tirunesh Dibaba (Oromo:Xirunesh Dibaabaa,Amharic: ጥሩነሽ ዲባባ ቀነኒ; born 1 October 1985[5]) is an Ethiopianlong-distance runner athlete who competes inlong-distance track events and international road races. She has won threeOlympic trackgold medals, fiveWorld Championship track gold medals, four individualWorld Cross Country (WCC) adult titles, and one individual WCC junior title. Tirunesh was the5,000 metres (outdoor track)world record holder until 2020.[6] She is nicknamed the "baby-faced destroyer."[7]
At the2005 IAAF World Championships inHelsinki,Finland, Tirunesh became the first woman to win the 5000 m and 10000 m at the same championship. She is the one of two women (the otherSonia O'Sullivan) who won the short and long course World Cross Country title at the same championship (2005 inSaint-Galmier,France). With her2003 World championship title, she became the youngest World Champion at the age of 18 years and 90 days.[8]
Tirunesh comes from a sporting family of several Olympic medalists, which includes her sistersGenzebe andEjegayehu, and her cousin,Derartu Tulu. The matriarch of the Dibaba athletics dynasty, Tirunesh is the most decorated of the family.[9]
Tirunesh was born in the village ofBekoji,Arsi Zone of theOromia Region and the fourth of six children. She is ofOromo descent.[10] She began competing in athletics at the age of 14.[10] She was raised in the high-altitudeArsi Zone inOromia, Ethiopia but has lived inAddis Ababa, the capital, since 2000.[10]
Tirunesh comes from an athletic family. Her older sisterEjegayehu won thesilver medal in the10,000 metres at the2004 Summer Olympics in Athens. As of 25 June 2017, her younger sisterGenzebe holds the world record for1,500 metres,2,000 metres and the indoor world records for1,500 metres,one mile (pending ratification),3,000 metres, and 5,000 metres.[11] Tirunesh and Genzebe are the only siblings in history to hold concurrent world records.[12] Their cousin,Derartu Tulu, won gold medals in the10,000 metres at the1992 and2000 Summer Olympics, the bronze medal in the 10,000 metres at the 2004 Summer Olympics, the silver medal in the10,000 metres at the1995 World Championships, and the gold medal in the10,000 metres at the2001 World Championships.[12]
Tirunesh's first fully international outdoor event as a junior was the2001 World Cross Country Championships (WCCC)[10] inOstend, Belgium where, at the age of 15, shefinished fifth.[10]
Tirunesh finished second in thejunior race at the2002 WCCC in Dublin, Ireland before winning thatrace inLausanne, Switzerland in2003.
Tirunesh also earned a silver medal in the5000 metres at the2002 World Junior Championships inKingston, Jamaica, 1.05 seconds behindMeseret Defar and just 0.05 seconds ahead of bronze medalistVivian Cheruiyot.[13]
In May, Tirunesh won the only Ethiopian national track championship of her senior career. The event was the 5000 metres, with Meseret Defar finishing second.
In Paris at herWorld Championships debut, Tirunesh won the5000 metres in a sprint finish againstMarta Dominguez of Spain andEdith Masai of Kenya. This made her the youngest athlete to win an individual gold medal at the World Championships.[10] Recalling the race, Tirunesh said, "I competed in Paris only because I had the 'A' standard. No one expected me to win. There was no pressure from anywhere. All of them [the pre-race favorites] were looking at each other [during the race] and no one was focusing on the finish line. I just went for it and was surprised that I had won."[14]
In October, she finished fourth in the 5000 metres at theAll-Africa Games inAbuja, Nigeria and second in the same event at theAfro-Asian Games inHyderabad, India.[10] Meseret Defar won both races. Tirunesh said, "I was a bit tired after Paris and did not train well. I was not ready to run those races."[14]
At theSummer Olympics in Athens, Tirunesh finished third in the5000 metres, behind Meseret Defar and KenyanIsabella Ochichi.[15] At age 19, she became the youngest-ever medalist for Ethiopia at the Olympics.[10] She said about the race, "I was a bit overweight and after following Elvan [Abeylegesse] at the early part of the race, I just could not follow the rest at the end. I was not disappointed. I had learned my lesson."[14]
At theReebok Boston Indoor Games in January, Tirunesh set a world record in the 5000 meters with a finish time of 14:32.93. This was 6.36 seconds faster than the previous world record set byBerhane Adere. Finishing second was Tirunesh's sister Ejegayehu, over 25 seconds behind. She faded during the last 1000 metres after running with Tirunesh through 4000 metres in a hand-timed 11:46.2.[16][17] Tirunesh's 1000 metre splits were 2:56.0 - 2:55.2 - 3:00.0 - 2:55.0 - 2:46.8.[18]: 424
Tirunesh won two gold medals in March at theWorld Cross Country Championships inSaint-Galmier, France. She was the second woman, the other beingSonia O'Sullivan, to win two events since these championships began in 1998.[14]
Dibaba out-sprinted her sister Ejegayehu and Adere to win the10,000 metres at theWorld Championships in Helsinki, Finland. One week later, Tirunesh broke the championships record while defeating Meseret Defar and sister Ejegayehu to win the5000 metres and become the first woman to win the 10,000/5000 metres double at the same World Championships. TheInternational Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) recognized these two victories as the 2005 Female Performances of the Year.[19] Just before these races, Tirunesh said, "When I won [the 2003 World Championships] in Paris, everybody called me the 'little girl'. I am no longer that little girl. I have matured and certainly am afraid of no one during competition."[14]
Tirunesh won thelong race on 1 April at theWorld Cross Country Championships inFukuoka, Japan. The next day, however, she was unable to finish theshort race.
Tirunesh won five of the sixGolden League 5000 metre races, which earned her a bonus of US$83,333.[20] She also won the 5000 metres at theWorld Athletics Final. Tirunesh and Meseret Defar raced against each other in five of those seven races, with Tirunesh winning four times.
Defar defeated Tirunesh in the5000 metres at theAfrican Championships inBambous, Mauritius and in the 3000 metres at the World Athletics Final.
Tirunesh earned a US$25,000 bonus for breaking her own 5000 metres indoor world record at the Reebok Boston Indoor Games on 27 January, with a finish time of 14:27.42.[21] Tirunesh's 1000 metre split times were 2:55.28 - 2:53.2 - 2:51.5 - 2:56.68 - 2:46.4.[18]: 424 She held this record until Meseret Defar broke it on 18 February 2009 in Stockholm with a finish time of 14:24.37.[18]: 424
During the10,000 metres race at theWorld Championships in Osaka, Tirunesh again used her sprint finish to overhaul Turkey'sElvan Abeylegesse,[22] whose second-place finish here was expunged in 2017 for doping.[23] Tirunesh won despite having a mid-race tumble and abdominal pains throughout the race. Tirunesh's finish time was 31:55.41.[a][24] She thus became the only woman to win consecutive 10,000 metre titles at the World Championships. She did not compete in the5000 metres.
At the 6 June Bislett Games in Oslo, a Golden League event, Tirunesh Dibaba set a world record in the 5,000 metres which would stand for over twelve years, running the distance in 14:11.15.Lucy Wangui Kabuu from Kenya ran a personal best and finished in second place, 22 seconds behind Tirunesh. Tirunesh's sister Ejegayehu Dibaba finished in third place with a time of 14:36.78 (4.04 seconds off her personal best).[25] Tirunesh bettered Meseret Defar's world record by 5.48 seconds.[26] Tirunesh said after the race, "I've been thinking about this for a long time and this is a very special day for me. I was trying my best, and I knew I was going to break the record with two laps to go. The early part of the race was pretty good, but at 3,000 metres we were a little behind, so then I had to catch up on the pace. I could have run faster if the pacing was a little better."[26] Tirunesh's 800 metre split times were: 2:13.7 - 2:19.0 (4:32.7 through 1600 metres) - 2:22.5 (6:55.2 through 2400 metres and 8:03.7 through 2800 metres) - 2:17.8 (9:13.0 through 3200 metres) - 2:15.4 (11:28.4 through 4000 metres)- 2:10.1 (13.38.5 though 4800 metres), with a last 200 metre split of 32.7.[18]: 278
Six days later, Tirunesh defeated her sister Ejegayehu by 0.68 seconds in the 10,000 metres at theGolden Spike Grand Prix in Ostrava, Czech Republic. Tirunesh's finish time was 31:03.37.[27]
Dibaba won the10,000 metres at theSummer Olympics in Beijing on 15 August.[b] Her finish time of 29:54.66 broke the existing Olympic record of 30:17.49,[28] which had been set by cousin Derartu Tulu at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney. In addition, her finish time was the second fastest 10,000 metres of all time and anAfrican record. The previous African record of 30:04.18 was set by Berhane Adere at the 2003 World Championships.
Seven days later, Tirunesh won the5000 metres, defeating the defending champion Meseret Defar by 2.72 seconds.[c][29] This made Tirunesh the first woman to win both the 5,000 and the 10,000 metres at the same Olympic games.[d][30]
Tirunesh was named the 2008 Athlete of the Year byTrack & Field News.[31] The IAAF awarded its Female Performance of the Year to Tirunesh and Czech javelin throwerBarbora Špotáková.[32] Tirunesh was nominated forIAAF World Athlete of the Year, which was won instead by Russian pole vaulterYelena Isinbayeva for the third time.[33]
Injuries prevented Tirunesh from competing in theWorld Cross Country Championships inAmman, Jordan and theWorld Championships in Berlin.
On 15 November, Tirunesh won theZevenheuvelenloop 15 kilometres road race inNijmegen, Netherlands in a world best time of 46:28. This betteredKayoko Fukushi's previous world best by almost half a minute. (Tirunesh's record was broken byFlorence Kiplagat on 15 February 2015.[34]) This was her first competitive road race since 2005, but she downplayed the idea of moving on to road running, stating that the track remained her priority. Her 5 kilometre splits were 15:58 – 15:25 – 15:05. She said, "Although I trained a lot together with my husband for this race, a roadrace is something different. I did not know what I could expect. Therefore, I was not that fast in the beginning. ... After 10 kilometres, I pressed the pace and in the final three kilometres it felt like flying. It feels good as you hear after the finish that your husband also has won."[35]
In February, Tirunesh ran the third fastest indoor two-mile race to date[36] (9:12.23)[37] at theAviva Grand Prix in Birmingham, U.K. Her mile splits were 4:41.2 followed by 4:31.1.[38]
At theWorld Cross Country Championships inBydgoszcz, Tirunesh finished fourth.
Tirunesh successfully defended her 10,000 metres title at theAfrican Championships inNairobi with a finish time of 31:51.39. Her last 400 metres was timed at 61 seconds.[39]
A stress fracture in her right leg kept Tirunesh out of competition for 16 months. She returned to racing on 31 December 2011 to win the 10 kilometreSan Silvestre Vallecana Silver Label Road Race in Madrid, Spain by overcomingGelete Burka in a sprint finish.[40]
She won the two-mile race at theNew Balance Indoor Grand Prix in Boston on 4 February[41] and took her second career win at theCarlsbad 5000 road race in April.[42]
On 1 June in her first outdoor track race of the year, she won the 10,000 metres at thePrefontaine Classic in Eugene, a Diamond League event, by holding off Florence Kiplagat at the finish line.[43][44]
Eight days later at the Diamond LeagueAdidas Grand Prix in New York City, Tirunesh won the 5,000 metres with her last 400 metres being run in 61.54 seconds. Her winning margin over second-place finisher Meseret Defar was more than 6 seconds.[45][46]
At the2012 Summer Olympics in London, she successfully defended her10,000 metres title with a powerful performance over the final 600 metres, winning in a time of 30:20.75.[47] This was the fastest of the year by any female athlete.[48] This made her the first woman to win consecutive Olympic 10,000 metres titles. After the win, she said, "I have never been happier than today – this is even better than in Beijing".[49] In the5000 metres, she finished third behind gold medalist Meseret Defar and silver medalist Vivian Cheruiyot,[50] thus failing to repeat her 5,000/10,000 double from the 2008 Olympics. After the race, Tirunesh said, "I'm not very pleased today. I gave it a good shot, but I wasn't aiming for bronze. I'm a bit disappointed."[51]
After the Olympics, she returned toroad racing on 16 September at theBUPA Great North Run, a Gold Label Road Race in northern England. She had one of the fastest everhalf marathon debuts while winning in a time of 1:07:35. She defeated the marathon gold medalists from the 2012 Summer Olympics and the 2011 World Championships,Tiki Gelana andEdna Kiplagat, respectively, even though both ran personal bests.[52]
Tirunesh closed her year on 18 November with a win at the ABN-AMRO Zevenheuvelenloop in Nijmegen, Netherlands, setting the fastest time that season for the 15 kilometre distance.[53]
In February, Tirunesh hoped to break the indoor 2 mile world record at the New Balance Indoor Grand Prix in Boston. Her pacer, however, quit at the 1 kilometre mark, and she finished in 9:13.17, seven seconds off the record. Tirunesh said after the race, "With this first race [of the year], I am happy. But I could have run faster with better pacing--9:03 or 9:04. I would have liked to have broken the meet record.... Running alone is a bit tough. When I broke the world record at 5000 meters, I had good pacemakers."[54]
Tirunesh had planned to run theLondon Marathon on 21 April, but an injury to the bottom of her heel forced postponement of her debut at this distance.[51]
She was in good form in May at theGreat Manchester Run, setting a course record and an Ethiopian record of 30:49 to win this 10 kilometre road race.[51][55]
On 1 June, Tirunesh won the 5000 metres at the Prefontaine Classic in Eugene, Oregon, U.S., aDiamond League event that doubled as Ethiopia's trials for the World Championships. Her finish time of 14:42.01 was one-half second faster than second-place finisherMercy Cherono of Kenya. Tirunesh also finished ahead of five countrywomen, including London OlympianBelaynesh Oljira.[51][56]
Tirunesh on 27 June ran her last 10,000 metre race before the World Championships at theGolden Spike Ostrava in the Czech Republic. She won with a finishing time of 30:26.67, withGladys Cherono Kiprono of Kenya finishing second in 30:29.23 and Belaynesh Oljira finishing third.
Just nine days later on 6 July at the Diamond League meeting inParis, Tirunesh clocked the fastest 5000 metres by any woman since 2008: 14:23.68.[51] EthiopianAlmaz Ayana finished second in a personal best of 14:25.84,[51] followed by countrywomen Gelete Burka,Sule Utura, andBuze Diriba.[57]
Tirunesh was the favourite to win the10,000 metres at theWorld Championships in Moscow. She shadowed the leaders during the race until taking the lead with 500 metres remaining[58] and sprinting to her fifth individual World Championships gold medal. Her finish time was 30:43.45, with her last 400 metres clocked at 59.98 seconds.[58]
Tirunesh did not enter the5000 metres at the World Championships, despite saying in July immediately after her Paris 5000 metres victory that she intended to contest both events. In explaining her decision to skip the race, she denied that she was avoiding longtime rival Meseret Defar, saying, "The [Ethiopian athletics] federation asked us to just run one race each, and that's why I left that race. Both of us have run many times, and they told us that they wanted upcoming athletes to have a chance, and we agreed with that."[58]
On 29 August, Tirunesh resumed her rivalry with Defar in the 5000 metres at theWeltklasse Zürich, a Diamond League event. Genzebe Dibaba took the lead after the last pacer dropped out, but she quit the race with 600 metres remaining. Tirunesh then took the lead, with Defar close behind, before Defar passed her in the last 100 metres. Defar finished the race in 14:32.83 with Tirunesh in second at 14:34.82.[59][60]
Three days later inTilburg, Netherlands, Tirunesh attempted to breakPaula Radcliffe's 10 kilometer road race world record of 30:21. Although Tirunesh fell short by 9 seconds, her 30:30 finish time was the fourth fastest ever and broke Gladys Cherono Kiprono's 2012 course record by 27 seconds. Tirunesh also broke the Ethiopian national record (and her previous personal best) by 19 seconds.[61]
Tirunesh's final race of the season was the Great North Run in northern England on 15 September, where she was the defending champion. The race was billed as a "showdown" between Tirunesh and Defar. However, the winner of the 2013 London Marathon and silver medalist at the 2012 London Olympics,Priscah Jeptoo from Kenya, won the race in the third fastest time ever for a half marathon (1:05.45). Only Radcliffe and Kenya'sSusan Chepkemei had run faster. Defar finished second with a personal best and Tirunesh third in a personal best time of 1:06:55.[62][63]
Tirunesh made her marathon debut at the2014 London Marathon. She finished third in a time of 2:20:35, 14 seconds behind winner Edna Kiplagat and 11 seconds behind Florence Kiplagat (unrelated).[64] Dibaba stopped briefly near the 30 kilometre mark to pick up a dropped water bottle.[65]
After becoming pregnant with her first child, Tirunesh announced on 5 November that she would skip the 2015 season.[66] Tirunesh gave birth to a son in March 2015.[67]
Tirunesh returned to the track in 2016 to qualify for and run in the10,000 metres at theSummer Olympics inRio de Janeiro. She did not compete in the5000 metres at the Olympics for the first time since 2004.
On 29 June, Tirunesh lost a 10,000 metres race for the first time in her career. Almaz Ayana won the Ethiopian Olympic Trials inHengelo, Netherlands with the fastest time (30:07.00) sinceMeselech Melkamu's 29:53.8 finish time in June 2009, the seventh fastest time ever, and the fastest time ever for a 10,000 metres debut. Gelete Burka finished in second (30:28.47) with Tirunesh in third (30:28.53).[68]
In perhaps the greatest 10,000 metres race of all time,[69] Tirunesh ran the fourth fastest time in history while winning the bronze medal. Her finish time of 29:42.56 was 12.1 seconds faster than her previous personal best of 29:54.66, which she set at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing. Teammate Almaz Ayana smashedWang Junxia's 22 year old (andcontroversial) world record (29:31.78) by 14.33 seconds on her way to the gold medal in a time of 29:17.45. Silver medalist Vivian Cheruiyot of Kenya came within 0.75 seconds of Wang's world record while running the third fastest time (29:32.53) in history. Fourth place finisherAlice Aprot Nawowuna of Kenya ran the fifth fastest time (29:53.51) in history. (She led the race for the first 5000 metres, reaching that mark in a very quick 14:46.81.)[70][67] The next 9 finishers each set an area record (Molly Huddle of the U.S.), a national record (Cheruiyot of Kenya,Sarah Lahti of Sweden,Diane Nukuri of Burundi), or a personal best. National records for Greece, Kyrgyzstan, and Uzbekistan also were broken.[70] Before this race, a woman had finished a 10,000 metres race in under 30 minutes only five times - but four did so in this race.[67] Tirunesh said after the race, "I had a short time after delivery. Fortunately I got bronze.... This is great for me, my family and all of Ethiopia. The bronze is for my son."[67]
Tirunesh again ran theLondon Marathon, finishing in second place in a time of 2:17:56. This made her the third fastest woman ever in a marathon.Mary Jepkosgei Keitany's winning finish time of 2:17:01 was a world record for a women-only marathon and was the second-fastest performance in history. Only Paula Radcliffe has run faster, 2:15:25 at the mixed-gender 2003 London Marathon.
She won the silver medal in the10,000 metres at theWorld Championships in London in August, finishing 46.37 seconds behind Almaz Ayana.[71] Ayana broke open the race at the 4000 metres mark, running her next 1000 metres in 2:49.18.[72] Tirunesh had been training for this race for only two months, explaining after the race, “If I had followed ... [Ayana], I wouldn't have won a medal. I know my capacity these days because my training for this race was very short."[72] This was the third consecutive 10,000 metres race that Ayana had defeated Tirunesh. Tirunesh's 1000 metre splits were as follows:[73]
Tirunesh committed to run theChicago Marathon on 8 October.[74] She won a gold medal during the 40th edition of the marathon, with a time of 2:18:30.[75]
Tirunesh again ran theLondon Marathon in April, but failed to finish. She won theGreat Manchester Run road 10K for the third consecutive time and fifth time overall the following month. She finished third in theBerlin Marathon with a time of 2:18:55 in September. Tirunesh placed sixth at theDelhi Half Marathon in October and ran the San Silvestre Vallecana road 10k in Madrid on 31 December.[5] She finished third with a time of 30:40. The run was won by Brigid Kosgei (Kenya) in 29:54, the runner up was Hellen Obiri (Kenya) with 29:59. Due to the downhill nature of the course, times set there are not eligible for world record purposes.[76]
The 37-year-old returned after giving birth to a third child running her first race since December 2018 at theHouston Half Marathon in January. She finished 16th with a time of 71:35.[77]
Tirunesh is married to 2004 and 2008 Olympic 10,000 meter silver medallistSileshi Sihine and they have a son, Nathan Sileshi, born in March 2015.[12][78][79] She gave birth to a second child named Allon. She had a third child in 2021.
After theBeijing Olympics, her club, the Prisons Police, bestowed the rank of Chief Superintendent for her services to club and country.[80] Tirunesh has an honorary doctorate fromAddis Ababa University,[81] and has a hospital on the outskirts of Addis Ababa named after her.
She has ventured into the hotel industry by establishing an eponymousThree Star hotel, which was set to open at the end of 2013.
In these track races at the Olympics, Tirunesh's win–loss record against the following women is as follows:
| Year | Location | Event | Result | Mark | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | Athens | 5000 metres | 3rd | 14:51.83[15] | 1st:Meseret Defar 10th:Sentayehu Ejigu 12th:Elvan Abeylegesse 14th:Sonia O'Sullivan DNF:Edith Masai |
| 2008 | Beijing | 10,000 metres | 1st | 29:54.66[28] | 3rd:Linet Masai 6th :Lornah Kiplagat 12th:Ejegayehu Dibaba |
| 5000 metres | 1st | 15:41.40[29] | 2nd: Defar 4th:Vivian Cheruiyot 7th:Meselech Melkamu | ||
| 2012 | London | 10,000 metres | 1st | 30:20.75[47] | 3rd: Cheruiyot 4th:Werknesh Kidane |
| 5000 metres | 3rd | 15:05.15[50] | 1st: Defar 2nd: Cheruiyot 5th:Gelete Burka | ||
| 2016 | Rio de Janeiro | 10,000 metres | 3rd | 29:42.56[70] | 1st:Almaz Ayana 2nd: Cheruiyot 8th: Burka |
Tirunesh has not participated in any edition of theIAAF World Indoor Championships. In other IAAF world championship races, Tirunesh's win–loss record against the following women is set forth below. Only event finals are counted. A "did not finish" (DNF) is counted as a loss to everyone who completed the race. A "did not start" is treated as being absent from the race.
| Year | Type | Location | Event | Result | Mark | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | Cross country | Lausanne, Switzerland | Short | 7th | 12:54 | 1st:Edith Masai 2nd:Worknesh Kidane 9th:Ejagayehu Dibaba 10th:Eyerusalem Kuma 28th:Bezunesh Bekele |
| 2003 | Outdoor | Paris | 5000 metres | 1st | 14:51.72 | 3rd: E. Masai 5th:Elvan Abeylegesse 10th:Berhane Adere 11th:Gabriela Szabo 15th:Sonia O'Sullivan |
| 2004 | Cross country | Brussels | Short | 2nd | 13:09 | 1st: E. Masai 4th: Kidane 8th:Vivian Cheruiyot 10th: E. Dibaba 18th: Bekele |
| 2005 | Cross country | Saint-Galmier, France | Long | 1st | 26:34 | 2nd: Kidane 3rd:Meselech Melkamu 10th: Bekele |
| Short | 1st | 13:15 | 2nd: Kidane 6th: Melkamu 12th: Bekele 14th: E. Dibaba | |||
| 2005 | Outdoor | Helsinki | 10,000 metres | 1st | 30:24.02 | 2nd: Adere 3rd: E. Dibaba 5th: E. Masai 6th: Kidane 9th:Paula Radcliffe |
| 5000 metres | 1st | 14:38.59[82] Championships record | 2nd:Meseret Defar 3rd: E. Dibaba 4th: Melkamu | |||
| 2006 | Cross country | Fukuoka, Japan | Long | 1st | 25:21 | 2nd:Lornah Kiplagat 3rd: Melkamu 14th: E. Dibaba |
| Short | DNF | -- | Dibaba left the race at the halfway mark.[83] 1st:Gelete Burka 3rd: Melkamu 5th: L. Kiplagat 8th: Cheruiyot 9th: Bekele | |||
| 2007 | Cross country | Mombasa, Kenya | Senior | 2nd | 26:47 | 1st: L. Kiplagat 3rd: Melkamu 4th: Burka 5th:Florence Kiplagat 8th: Cheruiyot 28th: Abeylegesse DNF:Emily Chebet Muge |
| 2007 | Outdoor | Osaka | 10,000 metres | 1st | 31:55.41 | 7th: E. Dibaba 9th: Chebet Muge |
| 2008 | Cross country | Mombasa, Kenya | Senior | 1st | 25:10 | 3rd:Linet Masai 6th: Burka 9th: Melkamu |
| 2009 | Cross country | Amman, Jordan | Absent | -- | -- | -- |
| 2009 | Outdoor | Berlin | Absent | -- | -- | -- |
| 2010 | Cross country | Bydgoszcz, Poland | Senior | 4th | 24:38 | 1st: Chebet Muge 2nd: L. Masai 3rd: Melkamu 9th: Kidane |
| 2011 | Cross country | Punta Umbria, Spain | Absent | -- | -- | -- |
| 2011 | Outdoor | Daegu, South Korea | Absent | -- | -- | -- |
| 2013 | Cross country | Bydgoszcz, Poland | Absent | -- | -- | -- |
| 2013 | Outdoor | Moscow | 10,000 metres | 1st | 30:43.55 | 4th: Chebet Muge |
| 2015 | Cross country | Guiyang, China | Absent | -- | -- | -- |
| 2015 | Outdoor | Beijing | Absent | -- | -- | -- |
| 2017 | Cross country | Kampala, Uganda | Absent | -- | -- | -- |
| 2017 | Outdoor | London | 10,000 metres | 2nd | 31:02.69[71] | 1st:Almaz Ayana |
In these African Championship outdoor track races, Dibaba's win–loss record against the following women is as follows:
| Year | Location | Event | Result | Mark | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | Tunisia | Absent | -- | -- | -- |
| 2004 | Brazzaville, Republic of the Congo | Absent | -- | -- | -- |
| 2006 | Bambous, Mauritius | 5000 metres | 2nd | 15:56.04 | 1st:Meseret Defar 6th:Meselech Melkamu |
| 2008 | Addis Ababa, Ethiopia | 10,000 metres | 1st | 32:49.08 | 2nd:Ejegayehu Dibaba |
| 2010 | Nairobi, Kenya | 10,000 metres | 1st | 31:51.39 | 2nd: Melkamu 3rd:Linet Masai |
| 2012 | Porto Novo, Benin | Absent | -- | -- | -- |
| 2014 | Marrakech, Morocco | Absent | -- | -- | -- |
| 2016 | Durban, South Africa | Absent | -- | -- | -- |
| 2018 | Lagos, Nigeria |
In theseAll-Africa Games outdoor track races, Dibaba's win–loss record against the following women is as follows:
| Year | Location | Event | Result | Mark | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | Abuja, Nigeria | 5000 metres | 4th | 16:43.40[84] | 1st:Meseret Defar 5th:Sentayehu Ejigu 6th:Edith Masai |
| 2007 | Algiers, Algeria | Absent | -- | -- | -- |
| 2011 | Maputo, Mozambique | Absent | -- | -- | -- |
| 2015 | Brazzaville, Republic of the Congo | Absent | -- | -- | -- |
Since 2010, the Diamond League has been an annual series of athletics meetings organised by the IAAF around the world. The Golden League was an annual series of athletics meetings organised by the IAAF in Europe from 1998 through 2009.
In these Golden League and Diamond League races, Dibaba's win–loss record against the following women is as follows:
| Year | Series | Meeting | Event | Result | Mark | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | Golden League | Brussels | 3000 metres | 11th | 8:41.86 | 1st:Berhane Adere 2nd:Gabriela Szabo 3rd:Tatyana Tomashova 6th:Elvan Abeylegesse 7th:Ayelech Worku 10th:Meseret Defar |
| Berlin | 5000 metres | 6th | 14:49.90 | 1st: Adere 2nd:Werknesh Kidane 5th: Worku 7th:Sentayehu Ejigu 8th: Tomashova 12th: Abeylegesse | ||
| 2003 | Golden League | Oslo | 5000 metres | 3rd | 14:39.94 Junior world record | 1st: Adere 2nd: Kidane 4th: Defar 10th:Eyerusalem Kuma |
| Rome | 5000 metres | 4th | 14:41.97 | 1st: Defar 2nd: Szabo 3rd:Ejegayehu Dibaba 6th: Adere 11th: Worku 13th: Ejigu 19th: Kuma | ||
| 2004 | Golden League | Bergen | 5000 metres | 2nd | 14:30.88 Junior world record | Held in Bergen because of Oslo stadium renovation. 1st: Abeylegesse 14:24.68 (world record) 3rd: E. Dibaba 5th:Derartu Tulu 6th: Defar 13th:Meselech Melkamu |
| Rome | 5000 metres | 4th | 14:47.43 | 1st: E. Dibaba 2nd: Kidane 3rd: Defar 5th:Edith Masai 9th:Lornah Kiplagat 10th: Ejigu | ||
| 2005 | Golden League | Rome | 5000 metres | 1st | 14:32.57 | 2nd: Adere 3rd: Defar 4th: E. Masai 5th: E. Dibaba 6th: Melkamu 9th: Ejigu 10th: Burka 16th: Kidane 20th:Bezunesh Bekele |
| 2006 | Golden League | Oslo | 5000 metres | 1st | 14:30.40 | 2nd: E. Dibaba 3rd: E. Masai 5th: Melkamu 6th: Burka |
| Paris | 5000 metres | 1st | 14:54.24 | 2nd: Defar 3rd: Burka 4th: Adere 7th: E.. Masai 8th: E. Dibaba 10th:Vivian Cheruiyot | ||
| Rome | 5000 metres | 1st | 14:52.37 | 2nd: Defar 3rd: Burka 4th: Adere 9th: E. Dibaba 10th: E. Masai 14th: Bekele | ||
| Zürich | 5000 metres | 1st | 14:45.73 | 2nd: E. Masaii 3rd: Adere 5th: Cheruiyot | ||
| Brussels | 5000 metres | 1st | 14:30.63 | 2nd: Defar 5th: Cheruiyot 6th: Melkamu 7th: E. Dibaba | ||
| Berlin | 5000 metres | 2nd | 15:02.87 | 1st: Defar 3rd: Melkamu 4th: Burka | ||
| 2007 | Golden League | Paris | 5000 metres | 1st | 15:21.84 | 2nd:Florence Kiplagat 3rd: Melkamu 5th: E. Dibaba |
| 2008 | Golden League | Oslo | 5000 metres | 1st | 14:11.15[25] World record | 3rd: E. Dibaba 6th:Genzebe Dibaba |
| Rome | 5000 metres | 1st | 14:36.58[85] | 2nd: Melkamu 6th: E. Dibaba | ||
| 2009 | Golden League | (Did not participate) | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| 2010 | Diamond League | New York City | 5000 metres | 1st | 15:11.34[86] | 2nd: Ejigu |
| Eugene, Oregon, U.S. | 5000 metres | 1st | 14:34.07[87] | None | ||
| London | 5000 metres | 1st | 14:36.41[88] | 2nd: Cheruiyot 3rd: Ejigu 5th:Linet Masai 12th: F. Kiplagat | ||
| 2011 | Diamond League | (Did not participate) | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| 2012 | Diamond League | Eugene, Oregon, U.S. | 10,000 metres | 1st | 30:24.39[44] | 2nd: F. Kiplagat 4th: Kidane 5th:Aberu Kebede |
| New York City | 5000 metres | 1st | 14:50.80[46] | 2nd: Defar 3rd: Burka 4th: Kidane | ||
| 2013 | Diamond League | Eugene, Oregon, U.S. | 5000 metres | 1st | 14:42.01[56] | 5th: Burka 8th: L. Masai |
| Paris | 5000 metres | 1st | 14:23.68[57] | 2nd:Almaz Ayana 3rd: Burka | ||
| Zurich | 5000 metres | 2nd | 14:34.82[59] | 1st: Defar 4th:Emily Chebet Muge DNF: G. Dibaba | ||
| 2014 2015 2016 | Diamond League | (Did not participate) | -- | -- | -- | -- |
World Athletics Final was an annual athletics competition organised by the IAAF from 2003 to 2009. In these races, Dibaba's win–loss record against the following women is as follows:
| Year | Location | Event | Result | Mark | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | Monaco | 5000 metres | 3rd | 14:57.87 | 1st:Elvan Abeylegesse 2nd:Derartu Tulu 4th:Werknesh Kidane 7th:Sentayehu Ejigu |
| 2004 | Monaco | Absent | -- | -- | -- |
| 2005 | Monaco | 5000 metres | 2nd | 14:46.84 | 1st:Meseret Defar 3rd:Berhane Adere DNF:Ejegayehu Dibaba |
| 2006 | Stuttgart | 5000 metres | 1st | 16:04.77 | 2nd: Defar 4th: E. Dibaba 5th:Vivian Cheruiyot 6th:Meselech Melkamu 7th:Edith Masai |
| 3000 metres | 2nd | 8:34.74 | 1st: Defar 3rd: Cheruiyot 6th:Gelete Burka | ||
| 2007 2008 | Stuttgart | Absent | -- | -- | -- |
| 2009 | Thessaloniki | 5000 metres | 2nd | 15:25.92 | 1st: Defar 3rd: Cheruiyot 6th: Ejigu 9th: Melkamu |
In these Grand Prix and World Athletics Challenge races, Dibaba's win–loss record against the following women is as follows:
| Year | Series | Meeting | Event | Result | Mark | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | Grand Prix II | Portland, Oregon, U.S. | 5000 metres | 1st | 15:13.78[89] | 2nd:Marla Runyan 4th:Werknesh Kidane |
| Grand Prix I | Eugene, Oregon, U.S. | 3000 metres | 4th | 8:42.57[90] | 1st: Runyan 2nd:Sonia O'Sullivan 3rd: Kidane | |
| Grand Prix I | London | 5000 metres | 4th | 15:04.54[91] | 1st:Berhane Adere 2nd:Gabriela Szabo 3rd: O'Sullivan | |
| 2003 | Grand Prix II | Portland, Oregon, U.S. | 5000 metres | 2nd | 15:01.44[92] | 1st:Meseret Defar 3rd:Sentayehu Ejigu |
| Super Grand Prix | Lausanne | 3000 metres | 5th | 8:50.20[93] | 1st:Yelena Zadorozhnaya 2nd: Defar 3rd:Tatyana Tomashova 4th: Kidane 7th: Ejigu 9th: O'Sullivan | |
| 2004 | (Did not participate) | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| 2005 | Super Grand Prix | Sheffield, U.K. | 5000 metres | 1st | 14:51.77[94] | 2nd:Ejegayehu Dibaba |
| 2006 | Super Grand Prix | Gateshead, U.K. | 3000 metres | 1st | 8:42.04[95] | 2nd: Adere 3rd: E. Dibaba 6th:Bezunesh Bekele 9th:Vivian Cheruiyot |
| Super Grand Prix | London | 3000 metres | 1st | 8:29.55[96] (personal best) | 2nd: Adere 3rd: E. Dibaba 5th: Cheruiyot 6th:Meselech Melkamu | |
| Golden Grand Prix | Shanghai | 5000 metres | 1st | 14:55.63[97] | 2nd:Gelete Burka 4th: Melkamu 12th:Florence Kiplagat | |
| 2007 | Grand Prix | New York City | 5000 metres | 1st | 14:35.67[98] | 10th:Genzebe Dibaba |
| 2008 | Grand Prix | Ostrava, Czech Republic | 10,000 metres | 1st | 31:03.37[99] | 2nd: E. Dibaba 3rd: Melkamu 7th:Linet Masai |
| Grand Prix | Rieti, Italy | 5000 metres | 1st | 14:23.46[100] | 3rd: G. Dibaba | |
| 2009 | Grand Prix | New York City | 5000 metres | 2nd | 14:40.93[101] | 1st: L. Masai 3rd: G. Dibaba |
| Super Grand Prix | London | 5000 metres | 1st | 14:33.65[102] | 2nd: Ejigu DNF: E. Dibaba | |
| 2010 2011 2012 | (Did not participate) | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| 2013 | World Challenge | Ostrava, Czech Republic | 10,000 metres | 1st | 30:26.67[103] | 6th: L. Masai |
| 2014 2015 2016 | (Did not participate) | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
In these outdoor track and cross country races, Dibaba's win–loss record against the following women is as follows:
| Year | Location | Event | Result | Mark | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | Jan Meda International Cross Country Addis Ababa, Ethiopia | Cross country: short race | 1st | 13:16.54[104] | 2nd:Werknesh Kidane 3rd:Eyerusalem Kuma 4th:Bezunesh Bekele 6th: E. Dibaba |
| 2003 | Ethiopian Athletics Championships Addis Ababa, Ethiopia | 5000 metres | 1st | 16:01.48[105] | 2nd:Meseret Defar 3rd: Kuma |
| 2003 | Yokohama Super Track and Field Meet Yokohama | 5000 metres | 2nd | 15:11.05[106] | 1st:Lucy Wangui Kabuu 3rd: Kidane |
| 2004 | Great North Cross Country Newcastle, England | Cross country | 1st | 21:01[107] | 2nd:Elvan Abeylegesse 3rd:Derartu Tulu 13th:Vivian Cheruiyot |
| 2004 | Jan Meda International Cross Country Addis Ababa, Ethiopia | Cross country: long race | 3rd | 28:47.94[108] | 1st: Kidane 4th: Kuma |
| 2004 | Ethiopian Athletics Championships Addis Ababa, Ethiopia | 5000 metres | 2nd | 16:03.15[109] | 1st:Meselech Melkamu 3rd:Sentayehu Ejigu DNF: Defar |
| 2005 | Great Edinburgh International Cross Country Edinburgh, Scotland | Cross country: long race | 1st | 21:35[110] | 3rd: Melkamu 4th: Kidane 7th: E. Dibaba 11th:Lornah Kiplagat |
| 2005 | Jan Meda International Cross Country Addis Ababa, Ethiopia | Cross country: long race | 1st | 26:46[111] | 2nd: Melkamu 3rd: Bekele 6th: Kidane |
| 2005 | Ethiopian Athletics Championships Addis Ababa, Ethiopia | 5000 metres | 2nd | Time not reported[112] | 1st:Gelete Burka 15:39.12 3rd: Kidane 4th: Melkamu |
| 2005 | Reebok Grand Prix New York City | 5000 metres | 1st | 14:32.42[113] | 2nd: E. Dibaba 3rd: Ejigu |
| 2006 | Great Edinburgh International Cross Country Edinburgh, Scotland | Cross country: long race | 3rd | 19:21[114] | 1st: Burka 6th: E. Dibaba 13th:Sonia O'Sullivan |
| 2010 | Great Edinburgh International Cross Country Edinburgh, Scotland | Cross country: long race | 1st | 21:37[115] | 2nd: Cheruiyot |
| 2016 | Guldendensporenmeeting Kortrijk, Belgium | 5000 metres | 1st | 14:41.73[116] | None |
As of 29 June 2017, Dibaba's outdoor personal bests are as follows:[117][118]
| Event | Mark | Date | Meet & Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3000 metres (track) | 8:29.55 | 28 July 2006 | London Grand Prix London, England | |
| 3 kilometres (road) | 9:16 | 18 May 2014 | BUPA Great Manchester Run (10 kilometres) Manchester, England | Intermediate time in a longer race. |
| 5000 metres (track) | 14:11.15 | 6 June 2008 | Bislett Games Oslo, Norway | FormerWorld record. |
| 5 kilometres (road) | 14:51 | 3 April 2005 | Carlsbad 5000 Carlsbad, California, U.S. | -- |
| 10,000 metres (track) | 29:42.56 | 12 August 2016 | Olympics Rio de Janeiro, Brazil | Seventh fastest of all time. |
| 10 kilometres (road) | 30:30 | 1 September 2013 | Tilburg Ten Miles Tilburg, Netherlands | |
| 15 kilometres (road) | 46:28 | 15 November 2009 | Zevenheuvelenloop Nijmegen, Netherlands | (1) Former world record.[34] (2) Fourth fastest of all time.[34] |
| 10 miles (road) | 51:49[119] | 23 October 2016 | Great South Run Portsmouth, England | |
| 20 kilometres (road) | 1:03:25[120] | 10 February 2017 | Ras Al Khaimah Half Marathon Ras al-Khaimah, United Arab Emirates | Intermediate time in a longer race. |
| Half marathon (road) | 1:06:50 | 10 February 2017 | Ras Al Khaimah Half Marathon Ras al-Khaimah, United Arab Emirates | |
| Marathon (road) | 2:17:56[121] | 23 April 2017 | London Marathon London, England | (1) Twelfth fastest of all time.[4] (2) Former Ethiopian record, broken 25 January 2019. |
| Event | Mark | Date | Meeting | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3000 metres | 8:33.37 | 26 January 2008 | Reebok Boston Indoor Games | Boston | |
| Two miles | 9:12.23 | 20 February 2010 | Aviva Grand Prix | Birmingham, U.K. | Fourth fastest of all-time.[122] |
| 5000 metres | 14:27.42 | 27 January 2007 | Reebok Boston Indoor Games | Boston | (1) Third fastest of all time.[123] (2) Former world record. |
| Records | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Women's 5000 m World Record Holder 6 June 2008 – 7 October 2020 | Succeeded by |
| Awards | ||
| Preceded by | Women's Track & Field Athlete of the Year 2008 | Succeeded by |
| Sporting positions | ||
| Preceded by | Women's 5000 m Best Year Performance 2008–2009 | Succeeded by |
| 3000 metres (1980–1993) |
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|---|---|
| 5000 metres (1995–present) |
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Note: In1995, the 3000 m was replaced by the 5000 m. | |
|
African Champions in women's10,000 metres | |
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