On 31 August 2018 in Brussels, an Ethiopian teenager won the Diamond League 5000m final in 12:43.02. As of 22 October 2026 that time is still the world U20 record, and the runner was Selemon Barega. Three years later, on 30 July 2021, he became Olympic champion over 10,000m in Tokyo, and in 2025 he started a second career on the roads.
Selemon Barega, born on 20 January 2000, has won world titles as a junior and as a senior, outdoors and indoors. This profile follows him from school races in the Gurage Zone to the Berlin Marathon on 27 September 2026, with every major medal, his 2026 races and the number of starts recorded by World Athletics.
| Born | 20 January 2000 |
|---|---|
| Birthplace | Gurage Zone |
| Events | 5000 m, 10,000 m, 3000 m (incl. indoor), 1500 m, cross country |
| Personal bests | 5000 m – 12:43.02, 2018 10,000 m – 26:34.93, 2024 Marathon – 2:04:58, 2026 3000 m – 7:25.82, 2024 |
Data: World Athletics, checked 22 October 2026. Results and records change after every race.
Selemon Barega’s history: from school races to a police club
Selemon Barega grew up in a rural part of the Gurage Zone, a few hours from Addis Ababa. According to a World Athletics feature published in 2022, his parents are farmers and there was neither television nor radio at home.
He started with school competitions. His family wanted him to concentrate on his studies rather than on running, and their support came only once the medals did, according to World Athletics. A win at a school race led to a win at a zonal race and then to a place in a local running project. Around 2015 he moved to Addis Ababa and joined the Southern Police Club at about the time of his first call-up to the national team.
His coach is Hussein Shibo. In 2018 Selemon Barega told World Athletics that he shared training and a coach with Yomif Kejelcha, another of Ethiopia’s leading distance runners. His manager, according to his World Athletics profile, is Hussein Makké of Elite Sports Management International.
The 12:43.02 that still stands: records and personal bests
The Brussels run on 31 August 2018 is the defining number of his career. It is the world U20 record, the African U20 record and the Ethiopian U20 record for 5000m, all still valid as of 22 October 2026. On 30 June 2019 in Palo Alto he added a world U20 best of 8:08.69 for two miles, a non-standard distance for which World Athletics keeps “bests” rather than records.
His other personal bests as of 22 October 2026:
- 1500m – 3:32.93, London, 19 July 2025.
- 3000m – 7:25.82 (indoors), Toruń, 6 February 2024.
- 10,000m – 26:34.93, Nerja, 14 June 2024.
- 10 km road – 27:37, Manchester, 31 May 2026.
- Half marathon – 57:50, Valencia, 22 October 2023.
- Marathon – 2:04:58, Berlin, 27 September 2026.
A career in four chapters
2016–2017: world junior titles at 16 and 17
His first international race was the East African junior championships in Dar es Salaam on 30 April 2016, where he took 5000m bronze in 13:49.53. On 23 July 2016, aged 16, he became world U20 champion at 5000m in Bydgoszcz in 13:21.21. In 2017 he won the world U18 3000m title in Nairobi on 16 July (7:47.16) and the African U20 5000m in Tlemcen on 2 July (13:51.43), and on 12 August 2017 he finished 5th in the senior world championship 5000m final in London.
2018–2019: Brussels, Birmingham and Doha
On 4 March 2018 he took 3000m silver at the World Indoor Championships in Birmingham. He won the Diamond League 5000m in Stockholm on 10 June 2018 and the final in Brussels on 31 August 2018, which made him the 2018 Diamond Trophy winner at 5000m. In 2019 he won the national 10,000m title in Addis Ababa on 7 May, the Oslo 3000m on 13 June and, on 30 September 2019, world championship silver over 5000m in Doha in 12:59.70.
2021–2024: Olympic gold and a world indoor title
The peak came in Tokyo on 30 July 2021, with gold in the 10,000m in 27:43.22. The Selemon Barega olympics page covers that final and his Paris race in detail. On 20 March 2022 he became world indoor champion at 3000m in Belgrade (7:41.38). He then took 10,000m bronze at the World Championships in Budapest on 20 August 2023 and 3000m bronze at the World Indoor Championships in Glasgow on 2 March 2024. In the World Athletics 5000m ranking he spent 136 weeks at No. 1, his best-ever position (rankings data as of 22 October 2026).
2025–2026: a new career on the roads
On 23 February 2025 he made his debut over 42.195 km in Seville and won in 2:05:15. Later that year he won the Great Manchester Run on 18 May 2025 and the Tokyo Legacy Half Marathon on 19 October 2025, and he still raced on the track, finishing 6th in the 10,000m at the World Championships in Tokyo on 14 September 2025. The details of each road race are on our Selemon Barega marathon page.
Major titles and medals
| Year | Competition | City | Event | Place | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | World U20 Championships | Bydgoszcz | 5000m | 1st | 13:21.21 |
| 2017 | African U20 Championships | Tlemcen | 5000m | 1st | 13:51.43 |
| 2017 | World U18 Championships | Nairobi | 3000m | 1st | 7:47.16 |
| 2018 | World Indoor Championships | Birmingham | 3000m | 2nd | 8:15.59 |
| 2018 | Diamond League Final | Brussels | 5000m | 1st | 12:43.02 |
| 2019 | World Championships | Doha | 5000m | 2nd | 12:59.70 |
| 2021 | Olympic Games | Tokyo | 10,000m | 1st | 27:43.22 |
| 2022 | World Indoor Championships | Belgrade | 3000m | 1st | 7:41.38 |
| 2023 | World Championships | Budapest | 10,000m | 3rd | 27:52.72 |
| 2024 | World Indoor Championships | Glasgow | 3000m | 3rd | 7:43.64 |
| 2025 | Seville Marathon | Seville | Marathon | 1st | 2:05:15 |
Selemon Barega in 2026: three road races
His 2026 season, as of 22 October 2026, consists of three races, all on the road. He opened on 1 March 2026 with 7th place in Tokyo in 2:05:00, won the Great Manchester Run 10 km on 31 May 2026 in a personal best of 27:37, and on 27 September 2026 finished 5th in Berlin in 2:04:58, his fastest time over the distance so far.
| Date | Race | City | Event | Place | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 Mar 2026 | Tokyo Marathon | Tokyo | Marathon | 7th | 2:05:00 |
| 31 May 2026 | Great Manchester Run | Manchester | 10 km road | 1st | 27:37 |
| 27 Sep 2026 | BMW Berlin Marathon | Berlin | Marathon | 5th | 2:04:58 |
In the World Athletics rankings of 22 October 2026 he is No. 4 in the men’s 10,000m list and No. 34 in the marathon list.
Selemon Barega in the World Athletics database: races and wins
Between 2016 and 2026 the World Athletics database lists 99 results for Selemon Barega as of 22 October 2026 (heats and finals counted separately; the database may be incomplete). Of those, 93 are finals and 6 are heats. From 2016 to 2026 he has 36 wins in finals, and the profile records no DNF, DNS or DQ.
The busiest season was 2022 with 14 recorded races. Between 2017 and 2024 he raced 10 or 11 times in most years. Since the move to the roads the number has dropped: 6 results in 2025 and 3 in 2026 up to 22 October. Ethiopian domestic races and some road events are not in the database, so these totals are a lower bound.
What comes next for Selemon Barega (as of 22 October 2026)
As of 22 October 2026 no next race has been announced for Selemon Barega, either by organisers or by the media. He is not in the published fields for the Valencia Half Marathon on 25 October 2026, the New York City Marathon on 1 November 2026 or the Valencia Marathon on 6 December 2026.
These are the main events of the coming months worth following – races to watch, not confirmed entries:
- Great Ethiopian Run 10K, Addis Ababa – 22 November 2026 (confirmed by organisers).
- Seville Marathon – 21 February 2027 (reported), the race of his 2025 debut win.
- Tokyo Marathon – 7 March 2027 (confirmed).
- World Athletics Road Running Championships, Yangzhou – 27 March 2027 (reported; some sources give 28 March).
- Diamond League opener, Doha – 7 May 2027 (confirmed), for those following the track.
Our Ethiopian athletes hub keeps the full calendar. Confirmed entries usually appear first on his World Athletics profile.
Where to watch Selemon Barega in Ethiopia
Which channel shows him depends on the type of race. World Athletics Series events, such as the Road Running Championships in Yangzhou in March 2027 and the World Championships in Beijing in September 2027, are on Hagerie TV free-to-air in Ethiopia under a deal running through 2029. Diamond League meetings and the biggest city marathons were carried on SuperSport pay TV in sub-Saharan Africa in 2025–2026. For the Tokyo Marathon no Ethiopian broadcaster is confirmed as of 22 October 2026.
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.
Selemon Barega FAQ
When was Selemon Barega born?
He was born on 20 January 2000 and turned 26 on 20 January 2026. He grew up in the Gurage Zone, a few hours from Addis Ababa.
Is Selemon Barega a world record holder?
He holds the world U20 record for 5000m, 12:43.02 from Brussels on 31 August 2018, which still stands as of 22 October 2026. He does not hold a senior world record.
What is Selemon Barega’s half marathon best?
57:50, run in Valencia on 22 October 2023 (as of 22 October 2026). He also won the Tokyo Legacy Half Marathon on 19 October 2025 in 1:01:22.
Who is Selemon Barega’s sponsor?
According to running media, he switched from Nike to the Chinese brand Li-Ning in February 2025, just before his debut in Seville.
Is Selemon Barega the same as Solomon Barega?
Yes. English-language media sometimes spell his name Solomon, but World Athletics uses Selemon Barega.
Who coaches Selemon Barega?
His coach is Hussein Shibo. In 2018 he said he shared a coach and training with Yomif Kejelcha.