A Rivalry Defined by a Single Race

NAIROBI – The annals of athletics are filled with epic duals, but few moments encapsulate the fierce Kenya-Ethiopia running rivalry as vividly as the men's 5,000 metres at the Weltklasse Zurich meet on Wednesday, August 14, 1996 (EAT). It was on this evening that a determined Daniel Komen of Kenya delivered a crushing defeat to Ethiopia's Haile Gebrselassie, an Olympic champion who was, at the time, recently married.

Gebrselassie, then the reigning 10,000m Olympic gold medalist from the Atlanta Games, entered the race as the dominant force in long-distance running. However, Komen, still smarting from his failure to qualify for the Kenyan Olympic team, was driven by a powerful resolve to prove his mettle on the global stage. The result was a tactical masterclass and a display of raw power that left the Ethiopian legend trailing in his wake.

The Race That Shocked the World

The race unfolded at a blistering pace, with Komen taking the initiative and pushing the tempo relentlessly. With several laps remaining, it became clear that Gebrselassie, perhaps feeling the effects of a long season and his recent nuptials, could not match the Kenyan's searing pace. Komen powered through the final stages to win in a stunning time of 12 minutes, 45.09 seconds. Gebrselassie finished a distant second, clocking 12:52.70, a significant margin in elite-level competition. Kenya's Paul Tergat finished third, solidifying a strong performance for the nation.

This victory was Gebrselassie's only defeat in a track race over 1,500m between August 1994 and the 2001 World Championships, a testament to the magnitude of Komen's achievement. For Kenya, it was a moment of immense pride, a decisive victory over their greatest athletic rival on one of the sport's most prestigious stages. The image of Komen striding away from the seemingly invincible Gebrselassie became an iconic symbol of Kenyan athletic prowess.

The Rivalry Continues: Zurich 1997

While the 1996 race was a defining moment for Komen, the rivalry was far from over. The following year, at the same Zurich meet on August 13, 1997, the two titans clashed again in another historic 5,000m race. This time, Gebrselassie exacted his revenge, winning and setting a new world record of 12:41.86. Komen finished a close second in 12:44.90, a time that was itself faster than the previous world record. This subsequent race further cemented the legendary status of their rivalry, demonstrating the incredible heights both athletes pushed each other to achieve.

Komen's career, though peaking for a shorter period than Gebrselassie's, was incredibly impactful. Between 1996 and 1998, he embarked on a remarkable record-breaking spree. On September 1, 1996, he shattered the 3,000m world record with a time of 7:20.67, a record that stood for nearly 28 years. He also remains the only man in history to have run two miles in under eight minutes on more than one occasion.

Legacy for Kenya and East Africa

Komen's victory in 1996 remains a significant chapter in Kenyan sports history. It underscored the nation's depth of talent and its capacity to challenge and defeat the world's best. The Komen-Gebrselassie duels of the mid-1990s captivated audiences and fueled a golden era for East African distance running, inspiring a new generation of athletes in both Kenya and Ethiopia. As recently as November 2025, these athletic legends, including Komen and Gebrselassie, gathered in Addis Ababa for the Great Ethiopian Run, reflecting on a rivalry built on mutual respect and extraordinary performance that continues to shape the world of athletics.