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Maru Teferi

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Maru Teferi
Teferi at the 2015 Berlin Marathon
Personal information
Native nameמארו טפרי‎
Full nameMaru Abinet Teferi[1]
CitizenshipIsraeli
Born (1992-08-17) 17 August 1992 (age 31)
Dangila, Ethiopia
Home townKiryat Ata, Israel
Height1.64 m (5 ft 5 in)
Weight52 kg (115 lb)
SpouseSelamawit Teferi
Sport
CountryIsrael
SportRunning
Event(s)Half marathon, Marathon
ClubMaccabi Tel Aviv[2]
TeamNN Running Team
Achievements and titles
Personal best(s)Marathon: 2:06:43 (Fukuoka) (2022)
Half marathon: 1:00:52 (Tallinn) 2019 (NR)
Medal record
Men's athletics
Representing  Israel
World Championships
Silver medal – second place 2023 Budapest Marathon
European Championships
Gold medal – first place 2022 Munich Marathon team
Silver medal – second place 2022 Munich Marathon
Silver medal – second place 2024 Rome Half Marathon team
Updated on 10 June 2024

Maru Teferi (or Teferi Marhu,[3] Hebrew: מארו טפרי; born 17 August 1992) is an Ethiopian-born Israeli marathon and half marathon runner, and an Olympian. He won a silver medal in men's marathon at the 2023 World Athletics Championships, a silver medal in marathon at the 2022 European Athletics Championships, a gold medal in the 2022 European Marathon Cup, and the gold medal at the 2022 Fukuoka Marathon. He represented Israel at the 2016 Summer Olympics in the men's marathon, and again represented Israel at the 2020 Summer Olympics in the 2020 Olympic Marathon. He has set Israeli records in both the marathon and half marathon. Teferi will represent Israel at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris in the men's marathon on 10 August 2024.

Biography[edit]

Teferi was born in Dangila, Ethiopia, and is Jewish.[4] He was born to an Ethiopian-Jewish family, and his mother died when he was eight years old.[4][5] He immigrated to Israel at the age of 14 in 2006 along with most of his family.[6][7] While studying at the Ben Shemen Youth Village, he started training for long distance runs.[8]

His wife Selamawit "Selam" Dagnachew Teferi, whom he married in January 2017, was born in Ethiopia and became an Israeli citizen in 2018 on account of their marriage.[4][6] She is a mid- and long-distance runner also qualified to compete for Israel at the 2020 Summer Olympics.[6][9] They live in Kiryat Ata, in Haifa, and train together.[4]

Running career[edit]

Teferi's training schedule is to wake up at 5:30 am, do a morning workout, rest, take an afternoon nap, and then do another workout in the evening.[6] He runs 200 kilometers (124 miles) a week, over 30 kilometers (19 miles) per day.[6]

2015–19; 2016 Olympics, Israeli records[edit]

Teferi is an Israeli half marathon champion, having won the title in December 2015, ahead of Berihun We've and Israeli Olympian Ageze Guadie.[10][11]

Due to his 2:18.19 finish in the Rotterdam Marathon in April 2016, in which he came in 23rd, Teferi qualified for the 2016 Olympics.[11][12]

Teferi competed for Israel at the 2016 Summer Olympics in the marathon, and finished 74th out of 155 runners, with a time of 2:21:06.[13]

In January 2018, Teferi finished in second place (2:18.35) at the Tiberias Marathon.[14] On 12 August 2018, he ran a 2:13:00 and broke the Israeli marathon record (set in 2003 by Ayele Seteng), while coming in seventh in the 2018 European Athletics Championships in Berlin, Germany.[7]

In February 2019 he ran the Seville Marathon in 2:10:11 in Seville, Spain, coming in eighth.[15] In April 2019 Teferi set a new Israeli half-marathon record at 1:02:05, winning a race in Berlin.[16]

On 20 July 2019, Teferi won the KBC Night of Athletics 5000 Metres in Heusden-Zolder, Belgium, with a time of 13:40.37.[15]

On 27 October 2019, Teferi ran the Frankfurt Marathon in 2:08:09 in Frankfurt, Germany, setting a new Israeli record and finishing in 5th place.[15]

On 5 December 2019, he won the Israeli Half Marathon Championship with a time of 1:03:19.[15]

2020–21; 2020 Olympics[edit]

On 3 January 2020, Teferi won the 2020 Tiberias Half Marathon with a time of 1:01:23.[15]

On 5 December 2020, at the Israeli Half Marathon Championships, Teferi won a silver medal with a time of 1:02:58.[15]

Teferi represented Israel at the 2020 Olympics on 8 August 2021, in the marathon. He finished 13th out of 106 runners, the best-ever finish for an Israeli marathoner at the Olympics, with a time of 2:13:02.[17]

On 14 March 2021, Teferi won the Agmon Hahula Marathon in Israel, with a time of 2:07:44.[15]

On 10 December 2021, he won the Tiberias Half Marathon, with a time of 1:02:17.[15]

2022–present; World and European Championships silver medals, Fukuoka International Marathon gold medal[edit]

On 25 March 2022, at the Jerusalem Half Marathon, Teferi won the silver medal with a time of 1:10:28.[15]

On 15 August 2022, at the 2022 European Athletics Championships in Munich, Teferi won the silver medal for Israel in the individual marathon competition in 2:10:23.[15][18] He was also a member of the gold medal team for Israel winning the European Marathon Cup at the same competition.[19]

On 4 December 2022, Teferi won the Fukuoka International Marathon in Japan, with a time of 2:06:43.[15] It was a new Israeli record.[20]

On 27 August 2023, at the 2023 World Athletics Championships in Budapest, Teferi won the silver medal in the Men's Marathon with a time of 2:09:12.[21] He was the fourth Israeli to win a medal at the World Athletics Championship, and the first Israeli distance-runner to do so.[19] He said: "I’m so excited and happy to represent my country on such a big stage and bring honor to myself, my country, and my family."[19]

On 5 November 2023, Teferi placed sixth at the 2023 New York City Marathon in 2:10:28.[22][15] He said: "I run for the [Israeli] flag... It's a responsibility for me."[23]

Teferi will represent Israel at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris in the marathon on 10 August 2024.[24]

Personal bests[edit]

Road

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Maru Teferi". Olympedia.
  2. ^ Rakovsky, Ido (16 August 2022). "Israel stuns Europe with poignant gold medal in team marathon in Munich". The Forward.
  3. ^ "Athletics - Teferi Marhu (Israel)". The-sports. Retrieved 11 August 2016.
  4. ^ a b c d Burack, Emily (30 June 2021). "18 Things to Know About Ethiopian Israeli Runner Maru Teferi; Maru and his wife, Selam Teferi, will be the first married couple to represent Israel at the Olympics". Hey Alma.
  5. ^ Wilensky, David A.M. (6 July 2021). "Tokyo Olympics: All the Jewish athletes to watch". J.
  6. ^ a b c d e Eran Navon (28 June 2021). "Going the distance: Husband and wife in the running for Olympic golds; Ethiopian-born Israeli athletes husband and wife Marhu and Selam Teferi are slated to represent the Jewish state at the Olympic Games in Tokyo. "Even in our wildest dreams, we didn't think this would be possible," they say.," Israel HaYom.
  7. ^ a b "Marhu Teferi breaks Israeli marathon record set in 2003; Taking part in European Athletic Championship, runner beats his own best time by more than 1 minute to come in 7th". The Times of Israel. 12 August 2018.
  8. ^ Eran Navon (18 August 2022). "Maru Teferi: Runs for a mission". Israel Hayom (in Hebrew).
  9. ^ Itamar Katzir (15 April 2019). "Long-distance runner Selamawit Bayoulgn receives Israeli citizenship". Haaretz.
  10. ^ Ben, Almog (24 April 2016). "An Ethiopian Israeli's Run From His Trailer Home to the Rio Olympics - Sports". Haaretz. Retrieved 6 August 2016.
  11. ^ a b "Israeli Olympic profiles: Marhu Teferi". The Jerusalem Post. 31 July 2016. Retrieved 11 August 2016.
  12. ^ "Resultados: Maratón de Rotterdam (Hombres)". Acicas Runners. 15 February 2006. Retrieved 11 August 2016.
  13. ^ "Olympic Athletics Results". Providence Journal. Associated Press.
  14. ^ Allon Sinai (8 January 2018). "Drama abounds in all aspects of Tiberias Marathon". The Jerusalem Post.
  15. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l "Maru Teferi | Profile". World Athletics.
  16. ^ "Israeli Marhu Teferi breaks country's half-marathon record". The Jerusalem Post. 7 April 2019.
  17. ^ "Setting new Israeli Olympic record, Marhu Teferi finishes 13th in Tokyo marathon". The Times of Israel. Retrieved 17 July 2022.
  18. ^ Gurvis, Jacob (16 August 2022). "50 years after Olympic massacre, Israeli marathon team wins gold at European Championships in Munich". Jewish Telegraphic Agency.
  19. ^ a b c "Israeli athlete wins first silver medal in marathon for Israel; Maru Teferi makes history at the World Athletics Championship's men's marathon by becoming the first Israeli distance-running athlete to medal at a world championship". Ynet. 27 August 2023.
  20. ^ "Maru hopes to build on an outstanding year". NN Running Team. 20 February 2023.
  21. ^ "Israel's Marhu Teferi wins silver in men's marathon at World Athletics Championships; 31-year-old achieves Jewish state's best-ever placement at the event, raising hopes ahead of Paris Olympics; Lonah Chemtai-Salpeter finishes fourth in women's race". The Times of Israel. 27 August 2023.
  22. ^ "Maru Teferi / NN Running Team". NN Running Team.
  23. ^ "Israel's Maru Teferi after 6th at NYC Marathon: "I run for the flag... It's a responsibility for me"". 5 November 2023 – via YouTube.
  24. ^ Deuel, Eliasaph (1 September 2023). "Israel pins hopes on wins in the Paris Olympics". Ynet.

External links[edit]

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