Yihunlish Delelecha
Medal record
Women's athletics
Representing  Ethiopia
World Athletics Cross Country Championships
Silver medal – second place1998 MarrakeshTeam

Yihunlish Delelecha (also known as Yihunelish Bekele Deleleneh, born October 22, 1981) is an Ethiopian-American distance runner who was a member of the 1998 World Athletics Cross Country Championship silver medal-winning team for Ethiopia.[1][2][3][4]

Professional career

Delelecha is known for participating in middle-distance and long-distance running. She got her start competing in cross country races for Ethiopia.[5] She was 27th in the 1998 IAAF Cross Country Championships in Marrakesh, Morocco, as her team from Ethiopia (which included Kutre Dulecha, Genet Gebregiorgis and Alemitu Bekele Degfa) took silver.[2]

Later, after she came to the United States, she was working at a 7-Eleven in the nation's capital. She decided to quit and try running professionally.[6]

She made headlines in May 2011 when she ran the Dick's Sporting Goods Pittsburgh Marathon. Athletes prepped to race in the weekend festivities (one of whom was the Pittsburgh Mayor Luke Ravenstahl), and Delelecha focused on taking the top prize. As a light rain fell on the cool Sunday morning, she came through in top form, leading Serkalem Abrha, Tezeta Dengersa and Alemtsehay Misganaw (who had registered for the half marathon, but missed a turn and finished the full marathon—in second place—only to be disqualified).[7] Delelecha's finishing time was a personal best 2:35:36.[8][9]

She would finish third in the 2013 Pittsburgh race, when Mary Akor finished first and Hirut Guangul finished second.[10] But the results would not stand for long. Guangul failed a drug test and her result was knocked out.[11] Then Akor was suspended a few months later for having failed a drug test at a Mexican marathon. Akor's results at all her 2013 marathons were changed to disqualifications.[12]

Thus, Delelecha became the fourth two-time women's winner of the marathon.

In June 2011, 38 days after winning in Pittsburgh, Delelecha won first place at the 35th Grandma's Marathon with the time of 02:30:39. A fellow countrywoman, Buzunesh Deba had introduced her to the race and encouraged her to try it. The day in 2011 started with rain, which stopped after the start of the race. There was a small tailwind and weather cool enough to see the breath of the runners along Lake Superior's North Shore. Delelecha ran with Everlyne Lagat until mile 19. Lagat finished second, while Dot McMahan came from behind to finish third.[6][13][14]

November brought her to the city of brotherly love for the Philadelphia Half Marathon. She won, beating out 19-year-old Bekelech Bedada and Amanda Marino, a member of the 2009 NCAA Cross Country championship team from Villanova. Delelecha's time was a personal best 1:12:42.[15][16]

She was third at the 2012 Houston Marathon, as Benita Willis edged her out near the finish and Alemitu Abera ran away with the lead, setting a course record.[17]

In 2012, Delelecha ran the Cherry Blossom 10 Mile race in Washington D.C. Her time of 54:33 placed her third, behind winner Julliah Kerubo Tinega and second-place Malika Mejdoub.[18]

That year, she was fourth at the Pittsburgh Half Marathon (while Fatuma Sado set a course record),[19] third in her return to Grandma's Marathon (this time behind Everlyne Lagat and Mulu Seboka),[20] fifth in the Twin Cities Marathon (behind Jeannette Faber)[21] and fourth in the Philadelphia Half Marathon.[22]

Personal life

Delelecha resided in Waldorf, Maryland in 2011.[5] She occasionally trained in Albuquerque, New Mexico, with a group of African athletes while preparing for races.[13]

Personal Best Performances[3]

Discipline Performance Place Date
5 Kilometres 16:58 Kenneth Square (USA) 18 MAY 2013
10 Kilometres 33:20 Rockville, MD (USA) 17 APR 2011
15 Kilometres 53:34 Le Puy-en-Velay (FRA) 01 MAY 2002
10 Miles Road 54:33 Washington, DC (USA) 01 APR 2012
20 Kilometres 1:12:16 New Haven, CT (USA) 07 SEP 2015
Half Marathon 1:12:43 Philadelphia, PA (USA) 20 NOV 2011
Marathon 2:30:38 Duluth, MN (USA) 18 JUN 2011

References

  1. ↑ Dunaway, James (23 March 1998). "Cross Country World Championships: Tergat Makes it Four Straight". The New York Times. New York, New York. Retrieved 26 October 2022.
  2. 1 2 Official Results - CROSS SHORT Women - Sunday, March 22, 1998, IAAF, March 22, 1998, archived from the original on 2013-10-29, retrieved October 28, 2013
  3. 1 2 "Yihunlish Delelecha Bekele". www.worldathletics.org. Monaco: World Athletics. 2022. Retrieved 27 October 2022.
  4. ↑ Ken Young; Andy Milroy, eds. (2022). "Yihunlish Bekele Deleleneh". Mattole Valley, California: Association of Road Racing Statisticians. Archived from the original on 25 February 2022. Retrieved 20 October 2022.
  5. 1 2 "2012 Chevron Houston Marathon Media Guide" (PDF). Marathon Elite Athletes. chevronhoustonmarathon.com. Houston, Texas: Chevron Houston Marathon. 2012. p. 23. Retrieved 26 October 2022.
  6. 1 2 Nowacki, John (18 June 2011). "Women's marathon: Delelecha's dedication pays off in speedy field". Duluth News Tribune. Duluth, Minnesota: Forum Communications Company. Archived from the original on 27 October 2022. Retrieved 26 October 2022.
  7. ↑ Gorman, Kevin (7 May 2012). "Second finisher comes up second short". Sports. Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. Greensburg, Pennsylvania: Tribune-Review Publishing Company.
  8. ↑ "American Man, Ethiopian Woman Win Pittsburgh Marathon". wpxi.com. WPXI-TV. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania: Cox Media Group. NBC. 14 May 2011. Retrieved 27 October 2022.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: others (link)
  9. ↑ Fittipaldo, Ray (16 May 2011). "Man hired as pace-setter wins marathon; Ethiopian runner finishes first in women's division". 2011 Pittsburgh Marathon Results. Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania: Block Communications. p. B1.
  10. ↑ Werner, Sam; Meyer, Craig (6 May 2013). "Repeat winner in men's competition; late surge propels woman's champion". Special Section. Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania: Block Communications. p. B1, B4.
  11. ↑ Door Jr., Vic (14 November 2015). "Guangul grabs another Richmond women's title with second-half surge in marathon". Richmond Times Dispatch. Richmond, Virginia: Lee Enterprises. Archived from the original on 27 October 2022. Retrieved 26 October 2022.
  12. ↑ "Pittsburgh Marathon women's winner banned for two year". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania: Block Communications. 18 December 2013. Archived from the original on 27 December 2013. Retrieved 26 October 2022.
  13. 1 2 Blount, Rachel (19 June 2011). "Warm support provides push for women's winner; Yihunlish Bekele Delelecha ignored the elements and won by nearly a minute". Sports. Star Tribune. Minneapolis, Minnesota.
  14. ↑ Mbaisi, Chris (21 June 2011). "Kipyego Beat Deneke to Win Grandma's Marathon". Nairobi Star. Nairobi, Kenya. AllAfrica Global Media.
  15. ↑ Breen, Matt (21 November 2011). "Tuko, Kramer are winners in Philadelphia Marathon". Sports. Philadelphia Inquirer. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. p. D3.
  16. ↑ Janiczek, Jeff (21 November 2011). "Tuko king of hills; repeat for Kramer". Sports. Philadelphia Daily News. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: The Philadelphia Inquirer. p. 71.
  17. ↑ "Ethiopians Break All Four Course Records to Wrap Up Marathon Weekend". chevronhoustonmarathon.com. Houston, Texas: Chevron Houston Marathon. 2012. Retrieved 26 October 2022.
  18. ↑ "2012 Cherry Blossom Ten Mile Run—2012 Results". runnerspace.com. Washington D.C.: Credit Union Cherry Blossom. 1 April 2012. Retrieved 26 October 2022 – via Runner Space.
  19. ↑ Werner, Sam (7 May 2012). "Teamwork leads friends to one-two race finish". Special Section. Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania: Block Communications. p. B1, B4.
  20. ↑ Blount, Rachel (17 June 2012). "Rain, Pain Can't Ruin Day". Sports. Star Tribune. Minneapolis, Minnesota. p. C6.
  21. ↑ Blount, Rachel. "Twin Cities Marathon: Kipyego wins men's; Faber leads women". Star Tribune. Minneapolis, Minnesota. Archived from the original on 26 October 2018. Retrieved 27 October 2022.
  22. ↑ Narducci, Marc (19 November 2012). "8K winners return, capture half marathon". Sports. The Philadelphia Inquirer. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. p. C3.
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