Tadesse Abraham

Tadesse Abraham
Born	(1982-08-12) August 12, 1982 Near Asmara, Eritrea
Other names	Tadesse Abrham, Tade
Occupation	Long-distance runner
Years active	2001–present
Known for	European half marathon champion (2016), silver medalist in marathon at 2018 European Athletics Championships
Notable work	Swiss national records in marathon

Tadesse Abraham (also spelled Tadesse Abrham; in Tigrinya: ታደሰ ኣብርሃም; born 12 August 1982) is a long-distance runner originally from Eritrea who competes for Switzerland, with a focus on the marathon. He earned the title of European half marathon champion in 2016 and secured seventh place at the 2016 Summer Olympics. Abraham won the silver medal in the marathon event at the 2018 European Athletics Championships. Additionally, he has claimed Swiss national championships in the 10,000 metres (2020) and marathon (2022).

Early life and background

Born on 12 August 1982 in a rural area near Asmara, Tadesse Abraham is the son of a farmer. His initial sporting interest was in cycling, Eritrea’s most popular sport introduced during Italian colonization. He dreamed of becoming a cyclist. However, after breaking his bicycle and being unable to replace it, he transitioned to running at age 15, often walking as far as 20 kilometres to attend school. Encouraged by his teacher, he soon became the fastest runner in his school.

Abraham’s professional athletics journey started in 2001 when he competed for Eritrea until participating in the 2004 IAAF World Cross Country Championships held in Brussels, Belgium. At 21 years old, he defected from the Eritrean team and sought asylum in Geneva, Switzerland, motivated by political instability in his home country. He selected Switzerland because of its political neutrality and stable environment.

2004–2014: Transitioning to Switzerland

Adapting to life in Switzerland presented early obstacles for Tadesse due to linguistic challenges and cultural differences. His athletic progress was temporarily halted when he was placed in a refugee camp for three months. Once permitted to travel internationally in 2007, he joined LC Uster athletics club and began competing locally and abroad. Among his notable performances were an eleventh-place finish at the 2009 Berlin Half Marathon with a time of 1:01:25 and victory at that year’s Zürich Marathon. He also achieved seventh place at the 2010 Berlin Marathon and repeated his Zürich Marathon win in 2013.

After becoming a Swiss citizen in 2014, Abraham officially represented Switzerland on the international stage, marking a pivotal point in his career. That year, he placed ninth at the European Championships held in Zürich and expressed pride in representing his new country.

Beyond athletics, Tadesse is actively involved with The Human Safety Net Switzerland (THSN), an initiative by Generali Switzerland that supports vulnerable populations such as refugees. Serving as an ambassador and occasional coach for THSN’s Refugee Team—comprising approximately 20 athletes—he assists them in pursuing sports excellence alongside vocational training, demonstrating his commitment to social responsibility.

2015–2017

Tadesse Abraham took part in the marathon event at the 2015 World Championships held in Beijing. In 2016, he secured seventh place in the Olympic marathon in Rio de Janeiro, claimed the gold medal in the half marathon at the 2016 European Athletics Championships in Amsterdam, and established a new Swiss national record of 2:06:40 at the Seoul Marathon, breaking Viktor Röthlin's 2007 record. An injury kept him out for most of 2017, causing him to miss the World Championships in London. He made a comeback by finishing fifth at the New York City Marathon in November.

2018–present

Abraham earned the silver medal in the marathon at the 2018 European Athletics Championships in Berlin and ranked ninth at the 2019 World Athletics Championships in Doha. He placed 51st at the 2020 World Half Marathon Championships in Gdynia and did not complete the race at the postponed 2020 Olympics in Tokyo. On 10 April 2022, he won the Zürich Marathon. At the 2023 Berlin Marathon, he finished eleventh while improving the Swiss marathon record to 2:05:10, also setting a masters world record.

Personal life

Tadesse is married to Senait, an Eritrean who grew up in Switzerland and works in finance while running recreationally. They were introduced by her friend Joseph Bago during a road race in Meinier in 2008 and married three years later, in 2011. Their son, Elod, has interests in football and running. During Tadesse's injury period in 2017, his family played a crucial role in supporting him.

He is sometimes known by the nickname "Tade". In March 2021, shortly before traveling from an Ethiopian training camp to Geneva for the Belp Marathon, he tested positive for COVID-19.

Achievements

Details are derived from his World Athletics profile unless indicated otherwise.

International competitions

Representing Template:ERI
2003	World Cross Country Championships	Lausanne, Switzerland	26th	U20 race	24:14
2004	World Cross Country Championships	Brussels, Belgium	58th	U20 race	27:07
Representing Template:SUI
2014	European Championships	Zürich, Switzerland	9th	Marathon	2:15:05
2015	European 10,000m Cup	Cagliari, Italy	4th	10,000 m	28:41.37
	European Team Championships First League	Heracleion, Greece	5th	5,000 m	15:21.86
	World Championships	Beijing, China	19th	Marathon	2:19:25
2016	European Championships	Amsterdam, Netherlands	1st	Half marathon	1:02:03
	Olympic Games	Rio de Janeiro, Brazil	7th	Marathon	2:11:42
2018	European Championships	Berlin, Germany	2nd	Marathon	2:11:24
2019	World Championships	Doha, Qatar	9th	Marathon	2:11:58
2020	World Half Marathon Championships	Gdynia, Poland	51st	Half marathon	1:02:46	Template:AthAbbr
2021	Olympic Games	Tokyo, Japan	—	Marathon	Template:AthAbbr
2022	2022 European 10,000m Cup	Pacé, Ille-et-Vilaine, France	—	10,000 m	Template:AthAbbr		World Marathon Major
2010	Berlin Marathon	Berlin, Germany	7th	Marathon	2:09:24
2017	New York City Marathon	New York City, United States	5th	Marathon	2:12:01
2023	Berlin Marathon	Berlin, Germany	11th	Marathon	2:05:10	Template:AthAbbr

National championships

• Swiss Athletics Championships (2 titles)
  • 10,000 metres: 2020
  • Marathon: 2022

See also

• Sport in Eritrea
• List of Swiss records in athletics
• Switzerland at the Olympics