Degitu Azimeraw

Degitu Azimeraw Asires is an Ethiopian long-distance runner who competes in marathon, half marathon, and track events. She is a silver medalist at the African Games and has achieved podium finishes in World Marathon Majors.

Career

Degitu Azimeraw began her international career as a teenager, winning the 2017 Tata Steel Kolkata 25K in her first international race with a course record of 1:26:01. In 2018, she significantly improved her to 1:06:47 at the RAK Half Marathon and won the Gifu Half Marathon in Japan.
In 2019, she further lowered her personal best to 1:06:07 at the RAK Half Marathon. Representing Ethiopia, she won a silver medal in the women's half marathon at the 2019 African Games in Rabat, Morocco, finishing in 1:10:31. Later that year, in her marathon debut, she won the 2019 Amsterdam Marathon in a course record time of 2:19:26, which was the second fastest debut marathon time for a woman in history.
In 2020, Azimeraw competed at the 2020 RAK Half Marathon, placing ninth with 1:07:02, and finished sixth at the 2020 Valencia Marathon in 2:19:56. In 2021, she set a new personal best of 2:17:58 to finish second at the 2021 London Marathon, placing her 11th on the all-time list at the time. She also won the 10K at the Nationale Nederlanden San Silvestre in Madrid with a time of 30:26.
After a period of time away for family in 2022-2023, Azimeraw returned to competition. In March 2024, she emerged victorious at the 2024 Barcelona Marathon, clocking 2:19:52 in her first marathon post-pregnancy, leading an Ethiopian podium sweep. She competed at the 2025 Tokyo Marathon, finishing eighth with a time of 2:20:26.