Birhan Dagne (born 8 April 1978) is an Ethiopian-born British long-distance runner.
Dagne was born, and grew up, in Ethiopia. She was a promising international athlete and in 1994 represented her country of birth; at the IAAF World Road Relay Championships, in both 3000m and 10000m at the World Junior Championships in Athletics, IAAF World Cross Country Championships and African Junior Athletics Championships.
At the age of 17 she was assaulted by a soldier because she was one of the minority Amhara ethnic group, while the ruling party in Ethiopia was Tigrayan.[1] Later that year she flew to the UK as part of the Ethiopian junior cross country team for the 1995 IAAF World Cross Country Championships. Birhan finished fifth in the race and along with Alemitu Bekele(7th), Yemenashu Taye(8th) and Ayelech Worku(11th) took the silver medal in the team event. Early the following morning Dagne took a train to London, with fellow athletes Askale Bireda and Getenesh Tamirat, to seek political asylum.[1] The UK Government refused asylum to the athletes, but Dagne and Bireda successfully appealed against this decision.[2]
During this time the asylum seeking Ethiopian athletes trained at the Woodford Green with Essex Ladies athletic club. The IAAF approved her changes of allegiance on 1 December 1998 and soon after represented Great Britain at the 1999 IAAF World Cross Country Championships.
Dagne became a member of the London-based Belgrave Harriers athletics club and ran in many domestic Half-Marathon and Marathon races. In 2004 Dagne finished less than a minute behind the first Briton, a relatively unknown, Tracey Morris in the London Marathon. This performance meant she just missed out on a trip to the 2004 Olympic Games.[3]
International Competition
edit| Year | Competition | Venue | Position | Event | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Representing  Ethiopia
| |||||
| 1994 | 1994 World Junior Championships in Athletics | Lisbon, Portugal | 9th | 3000m | 9:20.51 |
| 1994 | 1994 World Junior Championships in Athletics | Lisbon, Portugal | 5th | 10000m | 34:13.58 |
| 1994 | 1994 IAAF World Cross Country Championships Juniors | Budapest, Hungary | 10th | 4.3 km | 14:48 |
| 1994 | 1994 African Junior Athletics Championships | Algiers, Algeria | 3rd | 3000m | 9:10.47 |
| 1994 | 1994 African Junior Athletics Championships | Algiers, Algeria | 1st | 10000m | 33:49.10 |
| 1995 | 1995 IAAF World Cross Country Championships Juniors | Durham, UK | 5th | 4.47 km | 14:25 |
Representing  Great Britain
| |||||
| 1999 | 1999 IAAF World Cross Country Championships | Belfast, UK | 61st | 8.012 km | 30:55 |
| 1999 | 1999 European Athletics U23 Championships | Göteborg, Sweden | 9th | 10000m | 34:24.70 |
| 1999 | 1999 IAAF World Half Marathon Championships | Palermo, Italy | 29th | Half Marathon | 1:13:41 |
| 2001 | 2001 IAAF World Half Marathon Championships | Bristol, UK | Half Marathon | DNF | |
Other Races
edit| Year | Competition | Venue | Position | Event | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1998 | Hastings Half Marathon | Hastings, UK | 1st | Half Marathon | 1:16:30 |
| 1998 | Blaydon Race | Newcastle upon Tyne, UK | 1st | 5.9miles | 31:18 |
| 1999 | Blaydon Race | Newcastle upon Tyne, UK | 1st | 5.9miles | 31:04 |
| 2000 | Blaydon Race | Newcastle upon Tyne, UK | 1st | 5.9miles | 31:18 |
| 2000 | Reading Half Marathon | Reading, UK | 1st | Half Marathon | 1:14:23 |
| 2004 | Silverstone Half Marathon | Silverstone, UK | 1st | Half Marathon | 1:15:54 |
| 2004 | City of Norwich Half Marathon | Norwich, UK | 1st | Half Marathon | 1:19:14 |
| 2004 | London Marathon | London, UK | 11th | Marathon | 2:34:45 |
| 2005 | Silverstone Half Marathon | Silverstone, UK | 1st | Half Marathon | 1:16:25 |
| 2005 | Great Bristol Half Marathon | Bristol, UK | 1st | Half Marathon | 1:12:53 |
| 2006 | City of Norwich Half Marathon | Norwich, UK | 1st | Half Marathon | 1:17:18 |
| 2006 | Hastings Half Marathon | Hastings, UK | 1st | Half Marathon | 1:15:50 |
| 2006 | Windsor Half Marathon | Windsor, UK | 1st | Half Marathon | 1:15:10 |
| 2006 | Liverpool Half Marathon | Liverpool, UK | 1st | Half Marathon | 1:15:01 |
| 2006 | London Marathon | London, UK | 18th | Marathon | 2:49:48 |
| 2007 | Hastings Half Marathon | Hastings, UK | 1st | Half Marathon | 1:16:02 |
| 2008 | Great Bristol Half Marathon | Bristol, UK | 1st | Half Marathon | 1:14:18 |
| 2008 | Run to the Beat | London, UK | 1st | Half Marathon | 1:18:22 |
| 2008 | Great Birmingham Run | Birmingham, UK | 1st | Half Marathon | 1:17:40 |
References
edit- ^ a b Mike Rowbottom (26 March 1999). "Athletics: Dagne closes the door on dark days". The Independent. The Independent. Retrieved 12 April 2016.
- ^ "Athlete faces 'ludicrous' deportation". The Independent. The Independent. 12 April 1997. Retrieved 12 April 2016.
- ^ Duncan Mackay (19 April 2004). "Athens calls as Morris gets serious". The Guardian. The Guardian. Retrieved 12 April 2016.
