Jemal Yimer was ranked number two in the world road running in 2018 and 2019 and is the Ethiopian National Record holder over the half marathon distance. He’s one of the most talented middle-distance athletes across road, track and cross country with PB’s of 26.56 and 58.33. His time from the Valencia Half Marathon is joint 5th fastest in history. He has been a Moyo Sports athlete since the start of his career.

Glimpses of Jemal’s talent first emerged after the 2016 African Athletics Championships in Durban:  4th overall, 1st Ethiopian, 28.08 on his debut 10,000m international race. Then a debut 10km road race (28.18) for a close 2nd in Houllies, France further enhanced is reputation in endurance running.  His 2017 season however was where he showed his real talent: 4th place at the the IAAF World Cross Country Championships ended a good winter campaign; but a breakthrough being his 27.09 PB and 2nd place in the 10,000m at the 2017 Hengelo World Challenge. This meant a guaranteed place on the Ethiopian team for his first ever World Championships. He took the pressure in his stride and came an excellent 5th with a new 26.56 PB and first out of his Ethiopian team mates.

In 2018 he raced for the first time in the United States winning the famous Bloomsday and Cherry Blossom road races and ran 59.00 for 2nd at the famous 2018 RAK Half Marathon recorded, this the fastest debut half marathon in history. He won a Gold medal over 10,000m at the 2018 African Championships in Nigeria.

2019 was another solid year for Jemal, bringing another win at the Cherry Blossom 10 mile race in the USA and second place finishes in the highly competitive Bahrain and Houston Half marathons. On the track, Jemal ran a PB of 26.54.39 at the Ethiopian World Championship Trials in Hengelo. Such was the depth this placed him 5th, so no Olympic qualification.

Due to his renewed focus on the roads Jemal has been training under road running coach Getamesay Molla. He marked a successful transition with his first career win over the half marathon distance in Houston at the beginning of 2020. Winding the pace up over the final kilometers, he clocked 59.25 to defeat a quality field in challenging conditions. Then Coronavirus hit. He was first focussed on his marathon debut in Boston in April, then in September but both times it was not to be.

That time eventually came in October 2021. Jemal lined up in a deep field for his debut in a World Marathon Major in Boston. A podium 3rd place finish with only 1 second between 2nd and 3rd (and on a day when his team mate came behind in 4th). He knew he was in shape as he ran a tactical race for the win on the Larne coastline at Antrim half 5 weeks previously – 60.31. Two things are clear: Jemal is officialy a marathoner and hills do not bother him. Watch this space…..

Jemal features in the aclaimed book Out of Thin Air by Michael Crawley, (Bloomsbury Sport, 2020), where you will read a unique insight into Ethiopian running culture and life.

His official website is found at: http://jemalyimer.com/