Gudaf Tsegay age in one line: she was born on 23 January 1997, which makes her 29 years old as of 22 October 2026; she turns 30 on 23 January 2027. The date comes from her World Athletics profile.
Numbers alone say little, so this page puts the Gudaf Tsegay age question into context – where she grew up, how old she was at her first races abroad and at each turning point of her career. Her full record of titles and the 2026 news are on the main Gudaf Tsegay profile.
How old is Gudaf Tsegay?
Born 23 January 1997, she is 29 as of 22 October 2026. Because her birthday falls in January, her age during any outdoor season equals the year minus 1997: she raced the 2023 summer at 26 and the 2025 World Championships in Tokyo at 28.
Gudaf Tsegay birth place: Bora in Tigray
Published biographies give Bora, in the Alaje area of the Tigray Region in northern Ethiopia, as her birthplace. Tigray has produced several of the runners on our site – Ethiopian athletes such as Berihu Aregawi and Freweyni Hailu also come from the region. We have not found a first-hand account of her childhood in Bora, so we do not add details that we cannot confirm.
First races: a 16-year-old in Belgium
Her World Athletics file starts in 2013. That year she was third over 1500m at a meeting in Addis Ababa (4:27.3, hand-timed) and then travelled to Belgium, where she won in Heusden-Zolder (4:12.27) and Ninove (4:07.27). She was 16. Her time dropped by about 20 seconds within that one season.
By the following year she was on the national team. On 27 July 2014, aged 17, she won 1500m silver at the World U20 Championships in Eugene in 4:10.83. Earlier in 2014, indoors in Stockholm, she ran 4:08.47, then a world U18 best, and on 7 March 2014 she made her first senior global appearance in a 1500m heat at the World Indoor Championships in Sopot.
Coach and the move to Addis Ababa
According to The Reporter Ethiopia, she met Hiluf Yihdego, himself a long-distance runner, in Mekele. Injuries cut his running career short, and he began coaching her instead; she moved to Addis Ababa, where their training group grew over the following years.
Teenage seasons in numbers (2013–2017)
Between the ages of 16 and 20 she raced often. The World Athletics database lists five races for her in 2013, ten in 2014, 11 in 2015, 12 in 2016 and 13 in 2017 (heats and finals counted separately; the database may be incomplete). Wins in finals were rare in those years – none at all in 2016 – but the medals came where they mattered most, at championships: World U20 silver in 2014 and world indoor bronze in 2016, both over 1500m.
At 19 she ran the 800m at the Rio Olympic Games, finishing fourth in her heat in 2:00.13 on 17 August 2016. On 24 February 2017, aged 20, she clocked 2:38.05 for 1000m indoors in Madrid, which was still her best over that rarely run distance as of 22 October 2026.
Born seven weeks after Tigst Assefa
Gudaf Tsegay is about seven weeks younger than the marathon runner Tigst Assefa, who was born on 3 December 1996. Their paths crossed early: both ran heats of the 800m at the Rio Olympics on 17 August 2016, Gudaf in 2:00.13 and Tigst in 2:00.21. Afterwards their careers went in opposite directions – one stayed on the track and moved up to the 10,000m, the other left the track for the roads and the marathon.
Her age at key moments
| Date | Moment | Age |
|---|---|---|
| 2013 | First wins abroad (Heusden-Zolder, Ninove) | 16 |
| 27 Jul 2014 | World U20 silver, 1500m, Eugene | 17 |
| 19 Mar 2016 | World indoor bronze, 1500m, Portland | 19 |
| 17 Aug 2016 | Olympic debut, 800m heat, Rio de Janeiro | 19 |
| 10 Jun 2018 | First Diamond League win, Stockholm | 21 |
| 5 Oct 2019 | World bronze, 1500m, Doha | 22 |
| 9 Feb 2021 | Indoor 1500m world record, Liévin | 24 |
| 2 Aug 2021 | Olympic bronze, 5000m, Tokyo | 24 |
| 23 Jul 2022 | World champion, 5000m, Eugene | 25 |
| 19 Aug 2023 | World champion, 10,000m, Budapest | 26 |
| 17 Sep 2023 | 5000m in 14:00.21, Eugene | 26 |
| 23 Mar 2025 | Second world indoor 1500m title, Nanjing | 28 |
| 10 Oct 2025 | Most recent race, New York | 28 |
Ages are counted from 23 January 1997. The record-setting runs are explained on the Gudaf Tsegay world record page.
A long career for a runner born in 1997
From 2013 to 2025 the World Athletics database holds 147 of her results (heats and finals counted separately; the database may be incomplete), spread over 13 consecutive seasons. She raced at least five times in every one of those seasons, in events from the 800m to the 10,000m. She did not compete in 2026.
Where to watch Gudaf Tsegay
As of 22 October 2026 no comeback race has been announced. When she returns, track meetings in Ethiopia are shown by the official broadcasters below.
Official rights holders only, checked 22 October 2026. Rights change by event and season – check the broadcaster’s schedule before a race. We do not link to unofficial streams.
More profiles of runners from Tigray and the rest of the country are collected in our Ethiopian athletes section.
Gudaf Tsegay age and background FAQ
How old is Gudaf Tsegay?
She was born on 23 January 1997, so she is 29 as of 22 October 2026.
When is Gudaf Tsegay's birthday?
23 January. She will turn 30 on 23 January 2027.
Where was Gudaf Tsegay born?
Published biographies name Bora, in the Alaje area of the Tigray Region in northern Ethiopia.
How old was Gudaf Tsegay when she set the indoor 1500m world record?
She was 24: the 3:53.09 in Liévin was run on 9 February 2021.
How old was she at her first world title?
25 – she won the world indoor 1500m title in Belgrade on 19 March 2022.