Yomif Kejelcha has been at the sharp end of world distance running since 14 July 2013, when he won the world youth 3000m title in Donetsk. Born on 1 August 1997, he went on to win two world indoor titles over 3000m, world silver medals on the track in 2019 and 2025 and, after moving to the roads, the 10 km world record in February 2025.
In 2026 he produced the two runs that made his name known far beyond athletics: 1:59:41 for second place on his marathon debut in London on 26 April, and 56:51 for the half marathon in Buenos Aires on 23 August, a time still awaiting ratification as a world record as of 22 October 2026. Below we follow his career stage by stage, with dates, venues and times from his World Athletics profile.
| Born | 1 August 1997 |
|---|---|
| Birthplace | Showa, Oromia Region |
| Events | 5000 m, 10,000 m, 3000 m (incl. indoor), 1500 m / mile, road 5 km / 10 km |
| Personal bests | Half marathon – 56:51 (WR pending ratification), 2026 Marathon – 1:59:41 (NR), 2026 10 km road – 26:31 (WR), 2025 Mile (indoor) – 3:47.01 (AR, NR), 2019 |
Data: World Athletics, checked 22 October 2026. Results and records change after every race.
Roots in Oromia and an early breakthrough
According to Marathon Handbook, Kejelcha was born in Showa in the Oromia Region, the fifth of nine children. The same source says he left school in grade 9 to concentrate on running, against his father's wishes, joined the Burayu Kenema club and moved to the outskirts of Addis Ababa to train.
The results came quickly. On 14 July 2013 he won the 3000m at the IAAF World Youth Championships in Donetsk in 7:53.56. In 2014 he added three more titles: the 3000m at the African Youth Games in Gaborone (30 May, 7:56.51), the 5000m at the IAAF World Junior Championships in Eugene (25 July, 13:25.19) and the 3000m at the Youth Olympic Games in Nanjing (24 August, 7:56.20). On 8 March 2015 he won the African junior 5000m title on home soil in Addis Ababa in 14:31.03.
Career stage by stage
2015: a Diamond League trophy in his first senior summer
Kejelcha won the 5000m at the Prefontaine Classic in Eugene on 29 May 2015 (13:10.54) and at the Golden Gala in Rome on 4 June (12:58.39). On 11 September he won the Diamond League final in Brussels in 12:53.98 and with it the 5000m trophy. Between those races he placed fourth over 5000m at the World Championships in Beijing (13:52.43, 29 August 2015).
2016–2018: two world indoor titles
Indoors over 3000m he was the man to beat in championship finals. He won the world indoor title in Portland on 20 March 2016 in 7:57.21 and defended it in Birmingham on 4 March 2018 in 8:14.41. Outdoors he won the 3000m at the Paris Diamond League meeting on 27 August 2016 (7:28.19) and in Rabat on 13 July 2018 (7:32.93), took silver with Ethiopia in the relay at the 2017 World Cross Country Championships in Kampala and was fourth again over 5000m at the 2017 World Championships in London.
2019: the Oregon years and world silver in Doha
In 2018 and 2019 Kejelcha trained with the Nike Oregon Project under Tim Rowberry. On 3 March 2019 in Boston he ran the indoor mile in 3:47.01, a world record that stood until February 2025 – the full story is in our Yomif Kejelcha record guide. That summer he won Diamond League 5000m races in Shanghai (18 May, 13:04.16) and Lausanne (5 July, 13:00.56), and on 6 October 2019 he took 10,000m silver at the World Championships in Doha in 26:49.34. Three weeks later, on 27 October 2019, he won the Valencia Half Marathon in 59:05.
2021–2023: two Games and a road medal
The Tokyo Games brought seventh place in the 10,000m final on 30 July 2021 (27:52.03); in Paris on 2 August 2024 he was fifth in 26:44.02. In between he won the 3000m at the Bislett Games in Oslo (1 July 2021, 7:26.25), finished eighth over 5000m at the 2022 World Championships in Eugene and fifth in Budapest on 27 August 2023. His 2023 season also included 5000m wins in Oslo (15 June, 12:41.73) and Zürich (31 August, 12:46.91) and silver in the 5 km at the World Road Running Championships in Riga on 1 October 2023 (13:02). His compatriot Berihu Aregawi was often in the same races – in the road 5 km that served as the Diamond League final in Zürich on 8 September 2021, Aregawi won in 12:59 and Kejelcha was fifth in 13:05.
2024–2025: the move to the road
He won the Laredo 10 km on 16 March 2024 (26:37), set his 5000m best of 12:38.95 in Oslo on 30 May 2024 and his 10,000m best of 26:31.01 in Nerja on 14 June 2024. On 27 October 2024 he won the Valencia Half Marathon in 57:30, then a world record, and on 16 February 2025 in Castellón he ran 26:31 for 10 km – still the road world record as of 22 October 2026. The track was not finished with him: in 2025 he won Diamond League 5000m races in Paris (20 June, 12:47.84) and Monaco (11 July, 12:49.46) and took a second world 10,000m silver in Tokyo on 14 September 2025 (28:55.83). He won the Valencia Half Marathon again on 26 October 2025 (58:02) and ended the year with victory at the BOclassic in Bolzano on 31 December (27:42).
Major titles and medals
| Year | Competition | City | Event | Place | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | World Youth Championships | Donetsk | 3000m | 1 | 7:53.56 |
| 2014 | World Junior Championships | Eugene | 5000m | 1 | 13:25.19 |
| 2014 | Youth Olympic Games | Nanjing | 3000m | 1 | 7:56.20 |
| 2015 | African Junior Championships | Addis Ababa | 5000m | 1 | 14:31.03 |
| 2015 | Diamond League final | Brussels | 5000m | 1 | 12:53.98 |
| 2016 | World Indoor Championships | Portland | 3000m | 1 | 7:57.21 |
| 2017 | World Cross Country Championships | Kampala | Relay | 2 | 22:30 |
| 2018 | World Indoor Championships | Birmingham | 3000m | 1 | 8:14.41 |
| 2019 | World Championships | Doha | 10,000m | 2 | 26:49.34 |
| 2023 | World Road Running Championships | Riga | 5 km | 2 | 13:02 |
| 2025 | World Championships | Tokyo | 10,000m | 2 | 28:55.83 |
| 2026 | London Marathon | London | Marathon | 2 | 1:59:41 |
Kejelcha in 2026: London and Buenos Aires
As of 22 October 2026, the World Athletics database lists two races for Kejelcha in 2026, and both rewrote the record books. In London on 26 April he finished second in 1:59:41, eleven seconds behind Sabastian Sawe (1:59:30). It was the fastest debut over the distance in history and made him the second man ever to run under two hours in an official race; the full breakdown is on our Yomif Kejelcha marathon page. Four months later, on 23 August, he won the Buenos Aires half marathon in 56:51, which World Athletics lists as a world record pending ratification.
| Date | Race | City | Event | Place | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 26 Apr 2026 | TCS London Marathon | London | Marathon | 2 | 1:59:41 |
| 23 Aug 2026 | Media Maratón Ciudad de Buenos Aires | Buenos Aires | Half marathon | 1 | 56:51 |
The world rankings reflect that form: as of 22 October 2026 he is No. 1 in the men's road running ranking and No. 5 in the men's marathon ranking. Earlier in his career he spent 54 weeks at No. 1 in the 5000m ranking.
How many races has he run and won?
The World Athletics database holds 121 results for Kejelcha from 2013 to 2026 (heats and finals counted separately; the database may be incomplete). Of those, 112 are finals and 9 are heats. He has 50 wins in finals and three entries marked DNF, DNS or DQ. His busiest year was 2018 with 15 results; for 2026 the count stands at two as of 22 October 2026 – both of them long road races.
Next race: Valencia on 6 December 2026
As of 22 October 2026, his next start is the Valencia Marathon on 6 December 2026. The organisers confirmed his entry on 2 July 2026; it will be his second race over 42.195 km. Among the rivals announced at the time were defending champion John Korir, Alexander Mutiso and Dawit Wolde. The final start list may still change, so check the official Valencia Marathon site closer to race day.
No race after Valencia has been announced for him as of 22 October 2026. Big road events to watch in the following months include the World Road Running Championships in Yangzhou (reported for 27 March 2027) and the two-day London Marathon on 24–25 April 2027, without any claim that he will run them. Our Ethiopian athletes hub keeps a calendar of the main races.
Where to watch Yomif Kejelcha
For Valencia, the organisers stream the elite race on their own website, and in 2025 the regional broadcaster A Punt was listed as a worldwide free stream; the 2026 broadcaster list had not been published as of 22 October 2026. In 2025 StarTimes and SuperSport (both pay-TV) were also listed for Ethiopia. World Athletics Series events, such as the Road Running Championships, are free-to-air in Ethiopia on Hagerie TV under a rights deal announced on 7 May 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.
His full result list is on his World Athletics profile.
Yomif Kejelcha FAQ
How old is Yomif Kejelcha?
He was born on 1 August 1997, according to World Athletics, so he turned 29 on 1 August 2026.
What is Yomif Kejelcha's birth place?
According to Marathon Handbook, he was born in Showa in the Oromia Region of Ethiopia. He later trained around Addis Ababa.
How many world titles has Kejelcha won?
At senior level he has two world indoor titles over 3000m (Portland 2016 and Birmingham 2018). As a junior he also won the world youth 3000m in 2013 and the world U20 5000m in 2014.
Which brand does Kejelcha wear – adidas shoes?
According to Marathon Handbook, he is sponsored by adidas, and he has won the adizero Road to Records 5 km in Herzogenaurach in 2022, 2024 and 2025. In 2018–2019 he trained with the Nike Oregon Project.
When is Kejelcha's next race?
As of 22 October 2026, his next confirmed start is the Valencia Marathon on 6 December 2026, announced by the organisers on 2 July 2026. Start lists can change before race day.
Who are Kejelcha's training partners?
According to Marathon Handbook (2026), he trains in Addis Ababa alongside Guye Adola.