Abebe Bikila

Runner

• Born: August 7, 1932
• Birthplace: Jato, Ethiopia
• Died: October 25, 1973
• Place of death: Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Sport: Track and field (marathon)

Early Life

Abebe Bikila (sometimes mistakenly called Bikila Abebe) was born in an isolated part of Ethiopia on August 7, 1932. His father worked as a shepherd in the mountains and, like most people in his country, his family was poor. Abebe spent his childhood in the 7,000-foot-high mountains. The thin air at this altitude contains relatively little oxygen, so his body learned to do hard work without the denser atmosphere found at sea level. This increased lung power proved advantageous when he competed in races later. In addition, as he said to reporters after one of his big races, because the people were so poor, there was little mechanical transport, so everyone ran or walked wherever they were going. Running twenty-five miles was nothing to these people, he said, probably exaggerating slightly.

The Road to Excellence

When he grew up, Abebe moved to the palace of the emperor of Ethiopia Haile Selassie and enlisted as a private in the imperial bodyguards. Meanwhile, he competed in track without much success. Then he met his future coach, Onni Niskanen, from Sweden. Although Abebe was strong-willed and independent by nature, Niskanen provided the knowledge necessary to compete in international athletics.

Abebe always loved to run. For fun, he chased pheasants until they were too exhausted to go any farther. With his coach, he trained with more serious techniques to develop his stamina. One technique was to run fast and slow alternately without stopping. This was very tiring and proved useful later when he used short sprints to fatigue his opponents. In 1960, he competed in the Ethiopian trials for the marathon and finished third, good enough to qualify for a place in the Rome Olympics that year. It is assumed that Abebe held back in the trials to be fresh for the Olympics.

Abebe set out for Italy sure he could win the gold medal and announced this in his quiet way. No one paid any attention. After arriving in Rome, he carefully inspected the full course of the race with his coach. They noticed a famous Ethiopian monument, the obelisk of Axum, less than a mile from the finish. Here, they decided, was where Abebe would make a break for the finish line—beside a monument that had been stolen from Ethiopia by the Italians.

The Emerging Champion

When Abebe lined up for the start of the Olympic Marathon in bare feet, it caused a sensation among the spectators. At twenty-eight, he was totally unknown, having run only two marathons in his life, although his best time was a respectable 2:21.23. Because of the summer heat of Rome, the race took place at night. Every 10 yards a uniformed guard stood holding a torch to light the way. Thousands cheered as the long line of runners wound amid the ancient Roman monuments.

Abebe started slowly and held back from the leaders. Then he gradually moved through the field and at 10 miles, joined a group that included Rhadi Ben Abdesselem from Morocco. Abebe’s coach had warned him that Abdesselem was his main threat. They ran together for some time. Abebe refused the refreshments along the way. Finally they came to the obelisk, the marker where Abebe was to make his spurt for the finish. On an incline, he quickened his pace and built up a two-hundred-yard lead. Abdesselem never caught up, and at the finish, Abebe crossed the line as Olympic champion. His time of 2:15:16.2 broke the Olympic record by almost 8 minutes.

Continuing the Story

Abebe was the first black African ever to win an Olympic gold medal. He returned to Ethiopia a hero. The emperor promoted him to sergeant. The next four years passed uneventfully, despite the acclaim. He was always a quiet person and avoided the public when he could, even at home in Ethiopia. He usually denied the many requests for interviews and took care to avoid strangers.

Abebe was most at ease running. He never seemed tired, and his smooth style was the envy of many other athletes. During the four years between the 1960 and 1964 Olympic Games, he ran little. He competed in a 10,000-meter race in 1962, and in 1963, he entered the Boston Marathon. Despite a knee injury, he finished fifth. All the time he thought of the coming Olympics in Tokyo. No man had ever won the marathon twice. Many runners have only one really good race in them over the strenuous 26-mile 365-yard distance. Abebe was sure he could be an exception. Then disaster struck one month before the 1964 race; Abebe had to have his appendix removed. Just eleven days later, he started training again and told people that he would still win the race.

This time Abebe wore running shoes. Only two runners really challenged him: Ron Clarke of Australia and Jim Hogan of Ireland. Abebe set the pace from 10 miles on. At the turning point, Clarke was gone and Hogan, in his first marathon, hung on grimly to the Ethiopian. Finally he too faded and eventually dropped out, exhausted. Abebe finished in 2:12:11.2, setting a world record. The next man crossed the line four minutes later. Abebe amused the crowd by doing exercises to warm down while they waited for the other runners. Later he claimed he could have run another 6 miles.

Back in Ethiopia, Abebe again settled down to a quiet life with his wife and four children after promotion to lieutenant. At the 1968 Olympics, a hairline fracture of his left leg forced him to drop out in considerable pain. In 1969, tragedy struck when he injured his spine badly in a car accident. From then on he needed a wheelchair to get around. Four years later, on October 25, 1973, Abebe died from a brain hemorrhage.

Summary

Abebe Bikila was a hugely popular athlete, and many still consider him the greatest marathon runner ever. His thoughtful preparation and enormous confidence in his own ability made him a formidable opponent. A slim 5 feet 9 inches, he had the perfect build and temperament for the most strenuous event in the Olympic Games.

Bibliography

Abebe, Tsige. Triumph and Tragedy: A History of Abebe Bikila and His Marathon Career. Ethiopia: Author, 1996.

Layden, Tim. “The Long Run.” Sports Illustrated 100, no. 16 (April 19, 2004): 30-33.

Rambali, Paul. Barefoot Runner: The Life of Marathon Champion Abebe Bikila. London: Serpent’s Tail, 2006.

Sugar, Bert Randolph. The Sports 100: A Ranking of the Greatest Athletes of All Time. New York: Carol, 1997.