In one of the most chaotic yet awe-inspiring races in recent distance running memory, Ethiopia’s Telahun Bekele turned a pre-race blunder into a breakout performance.
Making his 10,000m debut at The TEN on March 30, Bekele missed the start entirely—thanks to a bathroom break gone wrong—but still managed to clock an astonishing 26:52.79, well under the 2025 World Championship qualifying standard of 27:00.
The wild chain of events began with another athlete’s oversight. Habtom Samuel, the reigning NCAA 10,000m champion from the University of New Mexico, realized moments before the gun that he had forgotten his race bib.
As Samuel bolted to retrieve it, meet officials delayed the start, instructing the athletes to stay loose with some strides. That’s when Bekele made a split-second decision that nearly cost him the race: he ran to relieve himself—only to return and find the field taking their marks.
“When I was returning from the restroom… I saw the athletes lining up, so I started running,” Bekele told LetsRun.com via text. “When I was around 100m away, the race started.”
“One of the Most Baller Things” in Distance Running
By the time the starting gun fired, Bekele was still sprinting down the home stretch. He crossed the start line approximately 11 seconds after the official start, effectively turning his 10,000m into a 10,070m race.
His unofficial first lap? About 62.6 seconds—blazing fast, considering it included a dead sprint just to catch up.
Within two laps, he had rejoined the pack. By the final mile, he surged into the lead briefly. But the early anaerobic burst cost him dearly in the closing laps, where he couldn’t summon the finishing kick to match the leaders.
Still, his 26:52.79 placed him fourth overall in an elite field and marked one of the fastest 10,000m debuts in recent history.
“That’s one of the most baller things I’ve ever seen someone do on a track,” said meet director Jesse Williams to LetsRun.
And Williams wasn’t exaggerating.
Consider this: Bekele’s time, when adjusted for his delayed start and extra distance, is estimated to be in the 26:30s. That’s bordering on the kind of performance that could make a World Championship podium—and one that places him in the conversation with legends like Kenenisa Bekele and Joshua Cheptegei.
Who Is Telahun Bekele?
For those less familiar with Bekele (no relation to the legendary Kenenisa), the 24-year-old is already one of Ethiopia’s most promising distance talents.
He finished 4th in the 5,000m at the 2019 World Championships and owns a personal best of 12:42.70—ninth-fastest in history at that distance. But despite his resume, he’s often been the odd man out in Ethiopia’s crowded distance hierarchy.
The Ethiopian Athletics Federation is notoriously opaque when it comes to team selection. Some years, it hosts dedicated trials; other years, it selects athletes based strictly on seasonal bests. That uncertainty pushed Bekele’s coach, Nigatu Worku, to encourage him to race at The TEN, a meet known for fast times, ideal pacing lights, and high-level competition.
“I had prepared well and devised a strategy for the race,” Bekele said, “but my strategy fell apart before the race even started… I convinced myself that I could still make it, and I had time because it was 25 laps.”
The TEN: A Mecca for Fast Distance Times
Since its inception in 2020, The TEN has become one of the go-to events for elite 10,000m runners looking to hit international standards.
Hosted at JSerra Catholic High School in San Juan Capistrano and organized by Sound Running, the meet draws a unique combination of pro athletes, pace lights, and a relaxed-yet-intense vibe that makes fast times almost inevitable.
Last year, U.S. runner Woody Kincaid ran 27:06 here, and in 2021, Grant Fisher broke the American record with his 26:33.84. For international runners like Bekele, The TEN offers a rare opportunity to race a paced 10,000m in ideal conditions.
And even amidst an organizational hiccup—a forgotten bib, a missing runner, and a starter who never looked down the track—this year’s race delivered.
What Happened and Who’s Responsible?
There’s plenty of finger-pointing to go around.
Some athletes told LetsRun.com they were told to expect a two-minute delay, not 30 seconds. In the end, the race started about 75 seconds after meet officials said they’d wait. That small miscommunication proved critical.
Bekele’s story is far from the only tale of misfortune. France’s Simon Bédard also missed the start and ended up finishing over 30 seconds off his personal best. Race director Jesse Williams took full responsibility and expressed regret about not calling the field back.
“Honestly, there was no reference for it in my brain,” Williams said. “It’s our meet so it’s definitely our responsibility. It’s a freak, kind of weird situation… I’ve never seen it before.”
Despite the blunder, Williams emphasized how impressed he was by Bekele’s performance and hinted that his actual effort was closer to a 26:30—an elite time by any standard.
What’s Next for Bekele?
For now, Bekele has locked in a qualifying mark for the World Championships in Tokyo, assuming Ethiopia uses time-based selection. But the bigger takeaway may be psychological: Bekele proved he belongs among the world’s best 10,000m runners—on a night where virtually everything went wrong.
And he’s already planning to return.
“The TEN is a great place to run a fast time, and I really like the environment,” Bekele said. “I will run here again next year. I will never forget this place in my life.”
Neither will anyone who watched that race.
