Ethiopia’s Leul Gebresilase has become the second Okpekpe road race winner to win a medal at the 19th World Athletics Championships which ended yesterday in Budapest, Hungary.
Gebresilase ran 2:09:19 to win the men marathon’s bronze medal, his first ever world major championships medal for Ethiopia.
The Ethiopian won the men’s title (29:28) at the fifth Okpekpe international 10km road race in 2017 in Okpekpe town in Edo state.
Like he did six years ago in Okpekpe, Gebreselase told reporters after the race in Budapest he came prepared to make the podium.
“It was a really tough race for me. I prepared for this competition at the highest level and I was ready to fight for any kind of medal here. It is the Ethiopian winter at the moment and the change of weather conditions are very difficult for us.
“I tried to keep up with the pace at the front of the group but after 35km my legs started to feel very painful. I am very sorry Ethiopia could not win a gold because it was the main goal of our team. But we are going to continue to train hard to take our glory back. We always have a very strong long distance team.
“It was the first world championships at the marathon. I have competed twice at half marathon championships and the only difference between the two is the weather here. I had to stay in the medical tent for more than half an hour after the race. I could not move at all but thanks to their care, I am doing much better now,” he said in his post-race interview.
Gebresilase has now followed in the footsteps of Kenya’s Daniel Simiu Ebenyo who won a silver medal in the men’s 10,000m on the opening day of the championships.
Meanwhile, organisers of the historic Okpekpe road race have congratulated Gebresilase on his major breakthrough for Ethiopia.
Media and Activation Director of the race, Dare Esan said Gebresilase, like Ebenyo, has been a great ambassador of the world acclaimed road running event in the south-south region of Nigeria.
“We are delighted to be part of the success story of Gebresilase and Ebenyo. The Okpekpe race, especially its very challenging terrain has been helping athletes who honoured our invitation to become better athletes and medallists at major international events like the World Championships.
“We are confident ‘our’ athletes will also deliver podium finishes next year at the Paris Olympics,’ said Esan who revealed organisers of the first label road race in West Africa have also been following the growth and development of athletes who take part in the competition.
