Ahmad Hassan Abdullah

Ahmad Hassan Abdullah
Born	(1981-07-29) July 29, 1981 Kaptarakwa, Kenya
Occupation(s)	Long-distance and cross country athlete
Years active	1999–2012 (international competition)
Known for	Representing Qatar in long-distance running; Asian record holder in 10,000 m

Ahmad Hassan Abdullah (, originally named Albert Chepkurui at birth on July 29, 1981, in Kaptarakwa, Kenya) is a long-distance and cross country athlete who has represented Qatar since 2003, following his change of allegiance from Kenya. He is among the prominent runners who have made this switch, alongside athletes such as Saif Saeed Shaheen.

Abdullah secured bronze medals at the 2005 IAAF World Cross Country Championships and earned podium finishes at the 2004 and 2008 IAAF World Half Marathon Championships. He represented Qatar in the 10,000 m event at the 2008 Beijing Olympics and participated in three editions of the IAAF World Championships in Athletics. A two-time Asian champion in the 10,000 m (in 2003 and 2007), he also holds the Asian record with a personal best timing of 26:38.76 minutes.

Career

Abdullah made several appearances at the IAAF World Cross Country Championships, beginning his journey as a junior in 1999 where he finished fifth. In senior competitions, he achieved sixth place in both the short race in 2001 and the long race in 2002. He missed the 2003 event due to his nationality transfer but returned in 2004 with a fourth-place finish in the short race and earned a bronze medal in the long race during the 2005 championships, additionally placing eighth in the short race that year. From 2006 through 2010, his placements varied between eighth and eighteenth positions.

At the Asian Cross Country Championships, Abdullah claimed individual and team gold medals in both 2007 and 2009. In addition, he secured victories in both categories at the 2008 World Military Cross Country Championships. His cross country experience also includes competing on Spain’s circuit, notably winning the Cross Zornotza race in 2005.

On the track, Abdullah’s primary event is the 10,000 m, where he holds both Asian and Qatari records with a personal best of 26:38.76 minutes set at the Memorial Van Damme meeting in 2003. His accolades include a bronze medal from the Athletics at the 2001 Goodwill Games, a fourth-place finish at the 2003 World Championships, and Asian titles secured in both 2003 and 2007. During the latter championship, he also took silver over 5000 m behind fellow Qatari Felix Kibore. Abdullah did not complete his race at the 2007 World Championships. At his Olympic debut in Beijing (2008), he finished eighth overall, marking him as the highest-ranked non-African athlete within that top ten. Later performances included an eleventh place at the 2009 World Championships and a bronze medal at the 2009 Asian Athletics Championships, finishing behind former Kenyan athletes Nicholas Kemboi and Hasan Mahboob.

In road running events, Abdullah earned two bronze medals at the IAAF World Half Marathon Championships (in 2004 and again in 2008), with a twenty-fourth place finish in between those years (2007). Additionally, he won the 2003 edition of the Bellin Run.

Following a break from international competition spanning late 2010 through part of 2011, Abdullah made his marathon debut at the 2012 Hamburg Marathon, where he placed fifth with a time of 2:08:36 hours.

International competitions

bgcolor=silver | 2nd | 5000 m | 14:08.66 6th | 5000 m | 13:46.45

Representing Template:KEN
2001	World Cross Country Championships	Ostend, Belgium	6th	Short race
2002	World Cross Country Championships	Dublin, Ireland	6th	Long race
			1st	Team competition
Representing Template:QAT
2003	World Championships	Paris, France	4th	10,000 m	27:18.28
	World Athletics Final	Monte Carlo, Monaco	10th	5000 m
2004	World Cross Country Championships	Brussels, Belgium	4th	Short race
			2nd	Team competition
	World Half Marathon Championships	New Delhi, India	3rd	Half marathon
	World Athletics Final	Monte Carlo, Monaco	6th	5000 m
2005	World Cross Country Championships	Saint-Étienne, France	3rd	Long race
			3rd	Team competition
			8th	Short race
			3rd	Team competition
2006	World Cross Country Championships	Fukuoka, Japan 14th |Long race |

Personal records

• 3000 metres – 7:43.01 minutes (1999)
• 5000 metres – 12:56.27 minutes (2003)
• 10,000 metres – 26:38.76 minutes (2003)
• Half marathon – 1:01:46 hours (2007)
• Marathon – 2:08:36 hours (2012)

See also

• List of eligibility transfers in athletics