Tariku Bekele
Tariku Bekele at the 2008 World Indoor Championships | |
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | 28 February 1987 Bekoji (woreda), Ethiopia |
| Sport | |
| Country | Ethiopia |
| Sport | Track, Long-distance running |
| Event(s) | 3000 metres, 5000 metres, 10,000 metres |
| Achievements and titles | |
| Personal best(s) | 3000 metres: 7:28.70 2-mile: 8:04.83 5000 metres: 12:52.45 10,000 metres: 27:03.24 |
Medal record | |
Tariku Bekele Beyecha (Amharic: ታሪኩ በቀለ; born 28 February 1987) is an Ethiopian professional long-distance runner, who specializes in the 5,000 metres and has moved up to 10.000 metres as well. He is the younger brother of Kenenisa Bekele, who is also an accomplished long-distance runner and a former world record holder in both the 5,000 metres and 10,000 metres. Tariku is the fourth fastest Ethiopian ever over 5,000 m and 3,000 metres. His indoor 3,000 m best of 7:31.09 ranks him as the ninth fastest of all-time in the event. He was the 10,000 m bronze medallist at the 2012 Summer Olympics.
His first major victory came at the 2008 IAAF World Indoor Championships, where he won the 3,000 m gold medal. He was the 2006 World Junior Champion over the distance and also won a cross country junior bronze medal that year. He took a continental silver medal at the 2007 All-Africa Games. Tariku has finished in the top eight of 5,000 m finals at the 2008 Summer Olympics and at the World Championships in Athletics in 2005 and 2007.