Merhawi Kesete

ERIERIMen
Birth dateJan 1, 1986
Height-
Weight-

Merhawi Kesete is an Eritrean long-distance runner born on January 1, 1986. He competes in road racing events, particularly the half marathon and marathon, and has represented Eritrea at the World Athletics Championships.

Kesete achieved notable success in 2015 when he won the Hamburg Half Marathon, setting a new course record with a time of 1:00:52. That same year, he also claimed victory at the Usti nad Labem Half Marathon in the Czech Republic. He competed in the men's marathon at the 2019 World Athletics Championships in Doha, Qatar, though he did not finish the race.

As part of Eritrea's strong tradition of distance running, Kesete has established himself as a competitive road racer on the international circuit. His course record at Hamburg and multiple half marathon victories demonstrate his capabilities as an elite long-distance athlete representing East African running excellence.

Key facts
Marathon
2:06:36
Half Marathon
1:00:52
2026 season best
2:09:16
May 10, 2026
Last competition
Copenhagen Marathon
May 10, 2026 · 2:09:16
Age
40 years old

As of Sep 27, 2026: Marathon 2:06:36 (#346 all-time), Half Marathon 1:00:52 (#766 all-time), 2026 season best 2:09:16 (May 10, 2026) · Last competition: Copenhagen Marathon, May 10, 2026, 2:09:16 · 40 years old

Performance Charts

Season bests

SeasonDisciplineResultWindDateTrendCompetitions
2026
Marathon
2:09:16-May 10, 2026
↑
Copenhagen Marathon
2025
Marathon
2:11:50-Jan 19, 2025
↑
Tata Mumbai Marathon
2024
Marathon
2:08:05-Oct 6, 2024
↑
Kosice Peace Marathon
2023
Marathon
2:11:24-Oct 15, 2023
↑
The 33rd Dalian Marathon
2022
Marathon
2:11:45-Jun 4, 2022
↑
adidas Stockholm Marathon
2021
Marathon
2:06:36-Oct 17, 2021
↑
TCS Amsterdam Marathon
2020
Marathon
2:10:36-Jan 19, 2020
↑
Tata Mumbai Marathon
2019
Semi
1:02:34-Dec 8, 2019
↑
-
2019
Marathon
2:09:06-Apr 14, 2019
↑
Borealis Linz Donau Marathon
2018
Semi
1:04:07-Sep 23, 2018
↑
Montbéliard-Belfort Le Lion Semi Marathon
2018
Marathon
2:17:01-Dec 9, 2018
↑
Taipei Marathon
2017
Semi
1:04:32-Jun 25, 2017
↑
Hamburg (GER)
2016
10MilesRoa
46:41-Sep 4, 2016
↓
Tilburg (NED)
2016
Semi
1:09:01-Jun 25, 2016
↑
Olomouc (CZE)
2016
Marathon
2:12:21-Apr 17, 2016
↑
Hamburg (GER)
2015
10Kilometr
28:13-Jun 27, 2015-Appingedam (NED)
2015
10MilesRoa
46:35-Sep 20, 2015
↓
Amsterdam (NED)
2015
Semi
1:00:52-Jun 21, 2015
↑
Hamburg (GER)
2014
5000m
14:38.65-Apr 27, 2014-Eritrean Championships
2014
Semi
1:02:51-Jan 5, 2014
↑
Eritrea Half Marathon Championships

2026

2 performances
DisciplineResultWindDateCompetitions
Marathon
2:09:16-May 10Copenhagen Marathon
Marathon
2:10:22-Jan 18Tata Mumbai Marathon

2025

2 performances
DisciplineResultWindDateCompetitions
Marathon
2:07:27-Oct 19TCS Amsterdam Marathon
Marathon
2:11:50-Jan 19Tata Mumbai Marathon

2024

2 performances
DisciplineResultWindDateCompetitions
Marathon
2:08:05-Oct 6Kosice Peace Marathon
Marathon
2:24:23-Jun 9Kigali International Peace Marathon

2023

2 performances
DisciplineResultWindDateCompetitions
Marathon
2:11:24-Oct 15The 33rd Dalian Marathon
Marathon
2:07:06-Feb 26Osaka Marathon

2022

3 performances
DisciplineResultWindDateCompetitions
Marathon
2:10:37-Oct 23Volkswagen Ljubljana Marathon
Marathon
2:11:45-Jun 4adidas Stockholm Marathon
Marathon
2:08:24-Feb 20Zurich Maraton de Sevilla

2021

1 performance
DisciplineResultWindDateCompetitions
Marathon
2:06:36-Oct 17TCS Amsterdam Marathon

2020

1 performance
DisciplineResultWindDateCompetitions
Marathon
2:10:36-Jan 19Tata Mumbai Marathon

2019

3 performances
DisciplineResultWindDateCompetitions
Semi
1:02:34-Dec 8Xiamen(Haicang)International Half Marathon, Xiamen
Marathon
DNF-Sep 28IAAF World Championships in Athletics
Marathon
2:09:06-Apr 14Borealis Linz Donau Marathon

2018

2 performances
DisciplineResultWindDateCompetitions
Marathon
2:17:01-Dec 9Taipei Marathon
Semi
1:04:07-Sep 23Montbéliard-Belfort Le Lion Semi Marathon

2017

2 performances
DisciplineResultWindDateCompetitions
Semi
1:04:32-Jun 25Hamburg Half Marathon, Hamburg
Semi
1:09:55-Feb 5Coamo San Blas Half Marathon, Coamo

2016

4 performances
DisciplineResultWindDateCompetitions
Marathon
2:13:39-Oct 16Amsterdam Marathon, Amsterdam
10MilesRoa
46:41-Sep 4Tilburg 10 Miles, Tilburg
Semi
1:09:01-Jun 25Olomouc Half Marathon, Olomouc
Marathon
2:12:21-Apr 17Hamburg Marathon, Hamburg

2015

6 performances
DisciplineResultWindDateCompetitions
Semi
1:03:29-Oct 18Lisboa Rock 'n' Roll Half Marathon, Lisboa
10MilesRoa
46:35-Sep 20Dam tot Damloop, Amsterdam
Semi
1:00:58-Sep 12Ústi nad Lábem Half Marathon, Ústí nad Labem
10Kilometr
28:13-Jun 27Appingedam Stadsloop, Appingedam
Semi
1:00:52-Jun 21Hamburg Half Marathon, Hamburg
Semi
1:01:58-Feb 7Massawa Eastern Africa Half Marathon Championships, Massawa

2014

2 performances
DisciplineResultWindDateCompetitions
5000m
14:38.65-Apr 27Eritrean Championships
Semi
1:02:51-Jan 5Eritrea Half Marathon Championships

Honours

No medals

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

What is Merhawi Kesete's Marathon personal best?

Merhawi Kesete's Marathon personal best is 2:06:36, set on Oct 17, 2021 in Amsterdam (NED), #346 on the all-time list.

Which events does Merhawi Kesete compete in?

Merhawi Kesete competes in the Marathon and Half Marathon.

How did Merhawi Kesete perform in 2026?

2026 season best: 2:09:16, set on May 10, 2026. Last competition: Copenhagen Marathon on May 10, 2026, 2:09:16.