Kenenisa Bekele

Can you imagine running 25 laps around a track faster than anyone else on Earth? Kenenisa Bekele did exactly that — he became a world champion by racing the 10,000 meters at amazing speed. His races are like stories about courage and hard work.

Kenenisa Bekele is an Ethiopian long-distance runner who rose to fame in the early 2000s. The single most important thing about him is his record-breaking speed and winning the biggest races. He is best known for the 5,000 and 10,000 meter events, where he raced the fastest times in the world.

He won Olympic gold in the 10,000 meters twice (2004 and 2008), set world records in both the 5,000 and 10,000 meters, and dominated world cross-country championships. People remember how he pushed the limits of running: making times lower than anyone thought possible and inspiring rivals and teammates alike. Coaches study his races to teach young runners how to compete with smart pacing and a strong finish.

That matters because Kenenisa shows what practice, patience, and believing in yourself can do. A boy from a small Ethiopian town became one of the fastest humans on Earth. Today kids everywhere look to his races for excitement, and many dream of running a lap as proudly as Bekele.