Ethiopia’s Amedework Walelegn was a comfortable winner of the Seoul International Marathon crossing the finish line of the World Athletics Platinum Label road race in a PB of 2:05:27.
It was his second victory in the Korean capital, having won there just four months ago in 2:06:59 at the JTBC Seoul Marathon. On this occasion, the 2020 world half marathon bronze medalist went much quicker in what was just the third marathon of his career.
He ran as part of a pack for most of the way, passing through 5km in 14:51 and 10km in 29:33 before reaching the half-way mark in about 1:02:30, putting them on course for a finishing time of about 2:05 – just outside the course record of 2:04:43 set last year by Mosinet Geremew.
The pace dropped slightly leading up to 30km, which was reached in 1:29:31 with eight men still in the lead pack. Walelegn then put in a bit of a surge and covered the next 5km segment in 14:34 – the quickest of the race. It was enough to break away from compatriots Shifera Tamru, Haftu Teklu and Olika Adugna Bikila, who formed a three-man chase pack.
The three chasers broke up in the final two kilometres. Tamru – a former winner in Seoul (2019) and Daegu (2022) missed out on adding another Korean marathon victory to his collection, taking second place in 2:05:41. Teklu, who was contesting just the second marathon of his career, was third in 2:05:53, finishing comfortably ahead of Bikila (2:06:29).
Only the men’s race had been granted a World Athletics label.
Amdework led Ethiopian medal sweeping victory in Korea
Ethiopian Premier League is back over the weekend at Adama University Stadium
The Ethiopian premier league season resumes over the weekend after a three weeks break due to international fixtures. As of the 17th week fixtures Adama University is the new venue for the next six rounds.
Surprise package Ethiopia Insurance (Medin) entertains relegation strugglers Arbaminch Ketema tomorrow. Taking the league by storm in its first season back to the top tier, Medin is currently sitting third in the table collecting 30 points from 16 fixtures while Arbaminch is 14th in the roster with just 18 points.
One win and one defeat in the past five matches, Gebremedin Haile’s side appeared to be in a slowdown thus a five point difference from the leaders Kidus Giorgis. A single win and five draws in the past six matches, Arbaminch boss Mesay Teferi is under pressure to lead the boat out of the sinking water.
Four defeats from the past five matches Diredawa boss Yordanos Abay travels to Adama to battle for his life as well for the team currently sitting three points above relegation zone. Diredawa’s adversary is Legetafo Ketema, the side dwelling rock bottom of the table with six points. A new boss in the form of no patience Zemariam W/Giorgis, Legetafo is to show off its three foreign imports for the first time. It is a huge showdown for Zemariam and his squad for a win could mean a stepping stone for a brighter future for the side.
Second in the table Baherdar Ketema is into a head on clash against Wolkite Ketema on Tuesday. One win and three draws in the past five matches, Baherdar is five points behind the league leaders therefore a must win clash with 11th in the table with 21 points Wolikite Ketema.
Kidus Giorgis one man strike force Ismael Ouro Agoro leads the top scorers’ roster with 16 goals while Wolkite front man Getaneh Kebede second with 12 goals followed by Diredawa target man Binyam Getachew with eight goals.
Berhanu Gebremichael
Name: Berhanu Gebremichael
Education: MA in Development Studies
Company name: Conovation Entrepreneurship Development PLC
Title: CEO
Founded in: 2015
What it do: Training, Mentorship/Coach, Acceleration/Incubation, Research and Innovation
Hq: Woreda 02, Lemi Kura Sub City, Addis Ababa
Number of Employees: 20
Startup capital: 16,000 birr
Current Capital: Growing
Reason for starting the Business: Supporting startups and innovation
Biggest perk of ownership: Social Housing Realstate
Biggest strength: Entrepreneurial competences
Biggest challenge: Multiple interventions
Plan: Creating equitable regional economies
First career: University lecturer
Most interested in meeting: Sharing experience
Most admired person: My dad
Stress reducer: Instrumental music
Favorite past time: Watching football
Favorite book: Animal Farm
Favorite destination: Roskilde, Denmark
Favorite automobile: Fiat 500x
Looking ahead
While we normally concentrate on what we are doing today, the fact that our environment and the conditions we work in are constantly changing, requires us to pay attention not only to improving our present operations but also to designing for the future. In other words, we must have two strategies operating at once. We must allow the past and the future to coexist in the present as few business owners have the luxury of being able to shut down their business while they transform it. This is like rewiring a house, while leaving the electricity on. There is some danger but if you want electricity throughout the changeover period, you have little choice. The road to the future begins by improving that which already exists or making the company as good as it can possibly be at servicing its present customers in the present market. Answering the following sets of may help questions:
The customer:
- Who are your present customers and why do they buy from you instead of your competitors?
- Are the needs of the customers changing and if so, what is driving those changes?
- How can you use those changes to your advantage?
The competition:
- Who are your present competitors and why do customers choose them over you?
- Are the rules of engagement changing and if so, what is driving those changes?
- How can you use those changes to your advantage?
The company:
If your present customers were to redesign our company, what would they turn it into?
How can you use the latest technological advances to your advantage?
How can you strengthen your relationships with your key customers, suppliers, and business partners?
In studying these questions and trying to make sense of the answers you are in fact developing a new vision for the future and prepare the company for how it can get there.
An organization that still resembles the past must generate a vision of the kind of organization you now want it to become. What exactly is that vision? Defining the purpose of the organization may help. What is the business you are really in?
Your business should be defined, not in terms of the product or service you offer but in terms of what customer need your product or service fulfils. While products come and go, basic needs of customers remain, for example the need for communication, transportation, food, etc. The description of the market need should be broad, rather than narrow. If for example the weekly newspaper that we are reading only thinks of its business as printing and selling the newspaper every week, it may begin losing business fast while the ICT world around it is developing at a staggering pace. But when the company’s purpose is defined as providing up to date news to the public, it widens its horizon, and may include other ways of reaching its customers like a website, social networks etc. Here follow some examples of product-based versus customer-based definitions:
Product-based
- Telephone company
- Running an airline
- Printing newspapers
- Generating electricity
- Selling airline tickets
Customer-based
- Provider of communications
- Transporting people and goods
- News provider
- Providing clean and affordable energy
- Providing travel services
Thinking about purpose instead of about a specific product helps us to expand our horizon. Regardless of the product, people will always have certain needs. We do not want to get caught in producing a product or service that people no longer want. When you think “What business am I in?”, ask yourself:
- What are our principle products or services?
- What are some possible substitutes for these?
- Why do customers buy these products or services?
- What are the principle benefits they expect from these purchases?
Once you have clarified customers’ needs, you can think about how you have shaped or will shape the organization to meet these needs.
Back to the realization above that, while designing for the future we must continue to pay attention to improving our present operations. This is a real point of concern in Ethiopia as I often notice that while something new is being introduced and while the new product or service is not yet fully worked out, tested and functional, the “old” product or service is suddenly ignored. Meanwhile products and services leave much to be desired and customers suffer. In a competitive environment some companies would soon be out of business indeed.
Ton Haverkort
Reference: “Mission Possible” by Ken Blanchard and Terry Waghorn.
