Nadia Ejjafini (born 8 November 1977) is a Moroccan-born professional long-distance runner. She switched nationality from her birth country to Bahrain in 2003, and later became an Italian citizen by marriage in 2009.
![]() Nadia Ejjafini (#5) at the 2007 Milan Marathon. | ||||||||||||||
Personal information | ||||||||||||||
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Nationality | Italian | |||||||||||||
Born | Rabat, Morocco | 8 November 1977|||||||||||||
Height | 1.68 m (5 ft 6 in) | |||||||||||||
Weight | 51 kg (112 lb) | |||||||||||||
Sport | ||||||||||||||
Country | ![]() | |||||||||||||
Sport | Athletics | |||||||||||||
Event | Long distance running | |||||||||||||
Club | C.S. Esercito | |||||||||||||
Coached by | Andrea Bello | |||||||||||||
Achievements and titles | ||||||||||||||
Personal bests |
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Medal record
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Biography
editShe finished fourth in the 5000 metres at the 1998 World Junior Championships. She won the half marathon race at the 1999 Pan Arab Games, at the time representing Morocco.[1] She won the Giro di Castelbuono race in 2002.[2]
Ejjafini competed at the World Cross Country Championships in 2003 and 2004 and in the marathon at the World Championships in 2003 and 2005. She also competed in the marathon at the 2004 and 2008 Summer Olympics, but did not finish on either attempt. She was fourth over 5000 m at the 2006 Asian Games.
She enjoyed much success on the road circuit in 2006: she won the Tilburg Ten Miles, Diecimiglia del Garda, Parelloop, Circuito Podistico and Rome-Ostia Half Marathon that year. She also took consecutive victories at both the Corrida de Langueux and Corrida de Houilles 10K races in 2006 and 2007.[3][4]
Representing Bahrain, she took a 5000 m silver medal and 10,000 m bronze medal at the 2007 Military World Games and won the bronze at the 2007 Asian Cross Country Championships.[5][6] At the Athletics at the 2007 Pan Arab Games, she was the 10,000 m gold medallist.[7]
She gained Italian citizenship in September 2009 by marriage.[8] That year she was the winner at the Singelloop Utrecht. She won her first national title at the 2011 Italian Athletics Championships over 10,000 m. She came second at the Cross della Vallagarina in January 2011, finishing behind Ethiopian runner Fente Alemu Birtukan.[9] She represented Italy internationally for the first time at the 2011 IAAF World Cross Country Championships, coming 34th overall.[10] The following month she took part in the Great Ireland Run and reached the top three.[11]
She won the Cremona Half Marathon in October with a career best run of 1:08:27 hours and a personal best of 2:26:15 in the marathon followed, as she was sixth at the Frankfurt Marathon.[12] At November's Cross Internacional Valle de Llodio she won the 7.64 km race with half a minute to spare.[13] She was in contention for a medal for much of the race at the 2011 European Cross Country Championships, but was edged into fourth late on by Gemma Steel. At the Cross de Venta de Baños later that month she was runner-up behind Priscah Jepleting.[14] In her last race of the year, she came fourth at the Saint Silvester Road Race.[15] She improved her 10K best to 31:52 minutes at the Great Manchester Run in May 2012, taking second place behind Linet Masai.[16]
Personal bests
edit- 5000 metres - 15:16.54 min (2012)
- 10,000 metres - 31:45:14 min (2012)
- Half marathon - 1:08:27 hrs (2011)
- Marathon - 2:26:15 hrs (2011)
Achievements
editYear | Competition | Venue | Position | Event | Notes |
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Representing Morocco | |||||
1998 | World Junior Championships | Annecy, France | — | 5000m | DQ (IAAF rule 141) |
Representing Bahrain | |||||
2003 | World Championships | Paris, France | 44th | Marathon | 2:38:39 |
2004 | Olympic Games | Athens, Greece | — | Marathon | DNF |
2005 | World Championships | Helsinki, Finland | 41st | Marathon | 2:41:51 |
2006 | Asian Games | Doha, Qatar | 4th | 5000 m | 15:45.43 |
2007 | Pan Arab Games | Cairo, Egypt | 1st | 10,000 m | 32:29.53 |
2008 | Olympic Games | Beijing, PR China | — | Marathon | DNF |
Representing Italy | |||||
2011 | World Cross Country Championships | Punta Umbría, Spain | 34th | Senior race (8 km) | 27:03 |
2012 | European Championships | Helsinki, Finland | 6th | 5000 m | 15:16.54 (PB) |
— | 10.000 m | DNF | |||
Olympic Games | London. United Kingdom | Heat | 5000 metres | 15:24.70 | |
18th | 10,000 metres | 31:57.03 |
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ Pan Arab Games (GBR Athletics)
- ^ Monti, Dave & Civai, Franco (2010-07-27). La Corsa Piu' Antica 11.2 km (M) and 5.6 km (F). Association of Road Racing Statisticians. Retrieved 2011-01-20.
- ^ Lefeuvre, Thierry (2010-07-23). Corrida Langueux 10 km. Association of Road Racing Statisticians. Retrieved on 2011-01-20.
- ^ Corrida de Houilles 10 km. Association of Road Racing Statisticians (2011-01-04). Retrieved 2011-01-20.
- ^ Krishnan, Ram. Murali (2007-10-18). "World 1500m bronze medallist Korir takes unexpected defeat – World Military Games, Day 3". IAAF. Archived from the original on 2012-10-25. Retrieved 2011-01-20.
- ^ Asian Crosscountry Championships. Association of Road Racing Statisticians (2009-03-03). Retrieved on 2011-01-20.
- ^ Results November 2007 - Pan Arab Games. Athletics Africa. Retrieved 2011-11-28.
- ^ "Ejjafini Nadia". IAAF. Archived from the original on 2012-10-10. Retrieved 2011-11-28.
- ^ Sampaolo, Diego (2011-01-17). "Longosiwa and Birtukane take commanding victories in Vallagarina XC". IAAF. Retrieved 2016-05-01.
- ^ "2011 World XC - Senior Race - W Final". IAAF. Archived from the original on 2011-04-08. Retrieved 2011-04-11.
- ^ Martin, Dave (2011-04-10). "Teenager Purdue upsets experienced rivals in Dublin 10Km". IAAF. Retrieved 2016-05-01.
- ^ Butcher, Pat (2011-10-30). "Kipsang tantalises with 2:03:42 World record assault in Frankfurt". IAAF. Retrieved 2016-05-01.
- ^ Valiente, Emeterio (2011-11-28). "Komon and Ejjafini succeed in Llodio XC". IAAF. Retrieved 2016-05-01.
- ^ Valiente, Emeterio (2011-12-18). "Limo and Jepleting secure a Kenyan double in Venta de Baños". IAAF. Retrieved 2016-05-01.
- ^ Biscayart, Eduardo (2012-01-01). "T. Bekele and Jeptoo beat the Sao Paulo New Year's Eve rain". IAAF. Retrieved 2016-05-01.
- ^ Wenig, Joerg (2012-05-20). "Gebrselassie takes another strong 10k victory in Manchester". IAAF. Retrieved 2016-05-01.
External links
edit- Nadia Ejjafini at World Athletics
- Nadia Ejjafini at the Italian Athletics Federation (in Italian)
- Nadia Ejjafini at Olympedia