Getu Feleke – the next Haile Gebrselassie

Young Ethiopian marathon runners are conquering the world. Getu Feleke is one of them. He is the new record holder of the Marathon of Amsterdam. But he hasn’t realised his dream yet: “I want to beat my record in the marathon. I want to run 2.04”. 

His aim is to become the new Haile Gebrselassie. Born in a small village about 55 kilometers north of the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa, Getu Feleke (23) is the sixth child of seven.

“When I started my training I wanted to be a mechanic. When my mother died in 2000 I stayed behind with my father and little brother. After a while, I heard about a coach with a good team in Addis Ababa. My schoolteacher said to me: If you’d work with them, you’ll have good results in future.” 

“I asked for the address of the coach and contacted him. Shortly afterwards I went to Addis Ababa to join the training.” Read Full Story Here