Ethiopian runner Yomif Kejelcha, defying biotypes, aims to be fastest in Buenos Aires Half Marathon

Yomif Kejelcha, an Ethiopian runner of Oromo ethnicity, is set to compete in the 37th Buenos Aires Half Marathon, an event expecting a record 31,500 participants. Kejelcha, who stands at an unusual 1.85 meters for a professional marathoner, has defied conventional runner biotypes to achieve remarkable feats.

His career highlights include setting the U20 world record in the 3000m in 2016, breaking the 22-year-old indoor mile world record in 2019, and achieving a world record in the half marathon in Valencia in 2024 with a time of 57 minutes and 30 seconds. He also holds the 10km road race world record, set in 2025, and astonishingly completed his first marathon in London in under two hours.

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I want to run. Atoma, his father, told him to finish high school or leave home. Yomif left home. He went to run.

The Buenos Aires race anticipates a fierce African battle at the front, with fellow Ethiopians Gemechu Dida Diriba and Tadese Worku, along with several Kenyans, also vying for the top spot. These elite runners have recorded times between 58 and 61 minutes for the distance. Behind them, the best Argentine runners will compete for national victory.

Despite his height, which contrasts with shorter legends like Eliud Kipchoge (1.67m) and Haile Gebrselassie (1.65m), Kejelcha considers it an advantage. Weighing 58 kilograms at 1.85 meters, he demonstrates that exceptional performance can come in unconventional packages, challenging the traditional mold of elite marathon runners.

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Yomif is light: he weighs 58 kilos; yes, 58 kilos at 1.85 meters tall.