• Images
• Videos
• Documents
• Books
• Articles

Personal life

Bashir Abdi was born in El Afweyn, Somaliland, a town mainly inhabited by the Habr Je'lo clan of the Isaaq clan-family.³⁴ When he was eight, his family moved to Djibouti. He then spent a year and a half in Ethiopia, before settling in Belgium, where his mother had initiated a family reunification procedure after having received recognition as a political refugee.⁵ There, aged 16, he started training at the Racing Club Gent Athletics, following his brother Ibrahim.⁶ His mother always supported him being an athlete when no one else in his family would and when she died of cancer in 2011, on her last day, she impressed upon her children that as "this country has meant so much to all of you, be good people".⁷

Abdi is married and has a daughter, Kadra, born 2018, and a son Ibrahim; born 2020. He is a co-founder and vice-chairman of the non-profit organization Sportaround, which organizes after-school sports activities for children in Ghent.⁸

Running career

2014–2017

Abdi entered the 10,000 metres at the 2014 European Athletics Championships with the European-leading time set on 4 May.⁹¹⁰ He finished fifth at the event.¹¹

In May 2015, he qualified for the 2016 Rio Olympics.¹²

At the Games, Abdi competed in both the men's 5000 m and 10,000 m. He finished 20th in the 10,000 m final, the race won by Great Britain's Mo Farah.

In 2017, he competed in the London 2017 World Championships in Athletics in the men's 5000 m, placing sixth in his heat.

2018–2019: Beginning of marathon career

In 2018, Abdi made his marathon debut at the Rotterdam Marathon, placing seventh with a time of 2:10:46. The race was won by Kenya's Kenneth Kipkemoi in 2:05:44.¹³ In August that year, he won silver in the 10,000 m at the 2018 European Athletics Championships.¹⁴ In the autumn Abdi raced several road races placing third at the Great North Run half marathon in a time of 1:00:42, fourth at the Dam tot Damloop 10 miler in 46:08, fifth at the Nijmegen Zevenheuvelenloop 15 km in 43:40 and third at the 's-Heerenberg Montferland Run 15 km in 43:40.¹⁵

In 2019, he was second at the Big Half Marathon in London with a time of 1:01:16 in a close finish with race winner Mo Farah and third placer Daniel Wanjiru. Abdi then competed in the London Marathon, placing seventh in a time of 2:07:03 in a race won by Kenya's Eliud Kipchoge in 2:02:37.¹⁶ In August, he was second in the Beach to Beacon 10 km in the United States, finishing in 28:35. The race was initially won by Kenya's Alex Korio, however he was disqualified. Jairus Birech came in second.¹⁷ Abdi headed back to Newcastle upon Tyne where he again raced the Great North Run half marathon, finishing fifth in a time of 1:01:11, the race was won by Farah. In October, Abdi ran in the Chicago Marathon, placing fifth with a time of 2:06:14, the race was won by Kenya's Lawrence Cherono in 2:05:45 in a sprint finish.¹⁸ Abdi next raced at the Montferland Run 15 km, finishing fifth in a time of 42:29. On New Year's Eve in Spain he won the San Silvestre Vallecana 10k m in Madrid with a time of 27:47.

2020–present: Marathon breakthrough

Abdi opened his 2020 racing campaign by winning the Egmond Half Marathon. He then achieved his first marathon podium position by placing second in the Tokyo Marathon in a new personal best time of 2:04:49. He passed Ethiopia's Sisay Lemma in the closing stages to finish behind the race winner Ethiopia's Birhanu Legese, who ran a time of 2:04:15.¹⁹ Abdi returned to the track in September competing at the Memorial Van Damme in the one hour race. He ran the majority of the race with Farah, taking the lead and setting a European record at 20,000 m of 56:20.02. He finished second behind Farah setting a mark of 21,322 metres.²⁰

In 2021, Abdi was second behind Farah at the Djibouti International Half Marathon with a time of 1:03:11. He then placed second at the European 10,000 m Cup in Birmingham in a new personal best of 27:24.41. This performance qualified him for the 10,000 m event at the delayed 2020 Tokyo Olympics. He focused on the marathon at the Games, however, winning the bronze medal²¹ and the first medal for Belgium in the Olympic marathon event since Karel Lismont’s medal 45 years ago.²² The finish of the marathon provided one of the most enduring images of the 2024 Summer Olympics as Abdi's good friend, Dutch athlete and silver medal winner Abdi Nageeye, also of Somali descent, cheered and encouraged his exhausted Belgian training partner to stay with him as they battled for the medals with Kenya's Lawrence Cherono.²³ In October, Abdi won the rescheduled Rotterdam Marathon, setting a European record with a time of 2:03:36.²⁴

In April 2022, he placed fourth at the Rotterdam Marathon.²⁵ In July that year, Abdi won his second consecutive global bronze in the marathon at the 2022 World Athletics Championships held in Eugene, Oregon, clocking 2:06:48.²⁶ He earned his second medal at a World Marathon Major by finishing third at the London Marathon in October with a time of 2:05:19.²⁷

In April 2023, Abdi regained his Rotterdam Marathon title in a time of 2:03:47, clocking a significant negative second half split of 61:32, setting the second fastest European time in history as he missed his own continental record by just 11 seconds.²⁸

At the beginning of 2024 Abdi, while on altitude training in Ethiopia, suffered a sacral stress fracture and was forced to interrupt training for 6 weeks, preventing him to run a spring marathon in preparation for the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, France.²⁹ He returned to competition in the Great Manchester Run, his first race since his injury, and set a Belgian record in the 10 km on the road.³⁰ At the 2024 Summer Olympics, he finished 2nd, winning Belgium's only silver medal at the Games.³¹

Statistics

Competition record

Personal bests

External links

• Bashir Abdi at World Athletics
• Bashir Abdi at European Athletics
• Bashir Abdi at Diamond League
• Bashir Abdi at Olympics.com
• Bashir Abdi at Team Belgium (in Dutch)

References

1. "Bashir ABDI – Athlete Profile". World Athletics. Retrieved 1 January 2023. https://worldathletics.org/athletes/belgium/bashir-abdi-14375137 ↩

2. "Ethiopa's Tola takes dominant marathon gold". Reuters.com. 17 July 2022. Retrieved 18 July 2022. https://www.reuters.com/lifestyle/sports/ethiopas-tola-takes-marathon-gold-2022-07-17/ ↩

3. "Wiilashii Soomaalida oo guul wayn Yurub uga soo hooyay Maaradoonka Tokyo". BBC News Somali (in Somali). Retrieved 11 August 2021. https://www.bbc.com/somali/war-58133305 ↩

4. "EASO Country of Origin Information Report Somalia - Security Situation" (PDF). European Asylum Support Office: 72. February 2016. The Ceel Afweyn district is mainly inhabited by the Isaaq subclan Habar Jeelo. https://www.ecoi.net/en/file/local/1158113/1226_1457606427_easo-somalia-security-feb-2016.pdf ↩

5. "Bashir Abdi: from Somalian refugee to Belgian Olympic bronze medallist". VRT NWS. 21 August 2021. Retrieved 22 August 2024. https://www.vrt.be/vrtnws/en/2021/08/08/basir-adil-from-somalian-refugee-to-belgian-olympic-bronze-meda/ ↩

6. "ABDI Bashir". Tokyo Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games. Archived from the original on 2 September 2021. Retrieved 2 September 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210902135156/https://olympics.com/tokyo-2020/olympic-games/en/results/athletics/athlete-profile-n1401953-abdi-bashir.htm ↩

7. "Bashir Abdi: from Somalian refugee to Belgian Olympic bronze medallist". VRT NWS. 21 August 2021. Retrieved 22 August 2024. https://www.vrt.be/vrtnws/en/2021/08/08/basir-adil-from-somalian-refugee-to-belgian-olympic-bronze-meda/ ↩

8. "ABDI Bashir". Tokyo Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games. Archived from the original on 2 September 2021. Retrieved 2 September 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210902135156/https://olympics.com/tokyo-2020/olympic-games/en/results/athletics/athlete-profile-n1401953-abdi-bashir.htm ↩

9. "EK atletiek: Bashir Abdi wordt vijfde in 10 kilometer". Metrotime.be. 13 August 2014. Archived from the original on 19 August 2014. Retrieved 18 August 2014. https://web.archive.org/web/20140819083953/http://nl.metrotime.be/2014/08/13/news/ek-atletiek-bashir-abdi-wordt-vijfde-in-10-kilometer/ ↩

10. Bashir Abdi: ‘Ik heb tot het laatste moment getwijfeld om te.... Standaard.be (17 August 2014). Retrieved on 2021-08-08. http://www.standaard.be/cnt/dmf20140817_01220728 ↩

11. "Bashir ABDI – Athlete Profile". World Athletics. Retrieved 1 January 2023. https://worldathletics.org/athletes/belgium/bashir-abdi-14375137 ↩

12. "Abdi loopt olympische limiet 10.000 meter". Sporza.be (in Dutch). 3 May 2015. Retrieved 4 May 2015. http://sporza.be/cm/sporza/atletiek/1.2327228 ↩

13. NN Marathon Rotterdam 2018. sporthive.com https://results.sporthive.com/events/6386505967023513344/races/419161 ↩

14. Abdi bezorgt België eerste eremetaal op EK atletiek! – Tranen bij Renée Eykens na val – Drie op drie voor broers Borlée op 400m. hln.be. 7 August 2018 https://www.hln.be/sport/meer-sport/ek-atletiek/abdi-bezorgt-belgie-eerste-eremetaal-op-ek-atletiek-tranen-bij-renee-eykens-na-val-drie-op-drie-voor-broers-borlee-op-400m~ac2a7ec7/ ↩

15. Bashir ABDI. worldathletics.org https://worldathletics.org/athletes/belgium/bashir-abdi-14375137 ↩

16. Virgin Money London Marathon 2019 Archived 9 August 2021 at the Wayback Machine. Results.virginmoneylondonmarathon.com (28 April 2019). Retrieved on 2021-08-08. https://results.virginmoneylondonmarathon.com/2019/?pid=list ↩

17. Race Results | Granite State Race Services. Gsrs.com (3 August 2019). Retrieved on 2021-08-08. https://www.gsrs.com/results/3820 ↩

18. Bank of America Chicago Marathon. Results.chicagomarathon.com. Retrieved on 8 August 2021. https://results.chicagomarathon.com/2019/?pid=list ↩

19. Tokyo Marathon 2020. marathon.tokyo https://www.marathon.tokyo/en/media/press-release/pdf/24949fe1d63c5fd6c4ca30dd36a648fa.pdf ↩

20. Bashir ABDI. worldathletics.org https://worldathletics.org/athletes/belgium/bashir-abdi-14375137 ↩

21. "ABDI Bashir". Tokyo Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games. Archived from the original on 2 September 2021. Retrieved 2 September 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210902135156/https://olympics.com/tokyo-2020/olympic-games/en/results/athletics/athlete-profile-n1401953-abdi-bashir.htm ↩

22. "Bashir Abdi: from Somalian refugee to Belgian Olympic bronze medallist". VRT NWS. 21 August 2021. Retrieved 22 August 2024. https://www.vrt.be/vrtnws/en/2021/08/08/basir-adil-from-somalian-refugee-to-belgian-olympic-bronze-meda/ ↩

23. "Marathon runner Abdi Nageeye reflects on his 'emotional' act of Olympic sportsmanship". CNN. 7 November 2021. Retrieved 22 August 2024. https://edition.cnn.com/2021/11/07/sport/abdi-nageeye-nyc-marathon-tokyo-olympics-moment-spt-intl/index.html ↩

24. "Nageeye and Hailu triumph at Rotterdam Marathon". World Athletics. 10 April 2022. Retrieved 10 April 2022. https://worldathletics.org/competitions/world-athletics-label-road-races/news/rotterdam-marathon-2022-nageeye-hailu ↩

25. "Nageeye and Hailu triumph at Rotterdam Marathon". World Athletics. 10 April 2022. Retrieved 10 April 2022. https://worldathletics.org/competitions/world-athletics-label-road-races/news/rotterdam-marathon-2022-nageeye-hailu ↩

26. "Bashir ABDI – Athlete Profile". World Athletics. Retrieved 1 January 2023. https://worldathletics.org/athletes/belgium/bashir-abdi-14375137 ↩

27. Crumley, Euan (2 October 2022). "Kipruto's closing kick lands him London Marathon prize". AW. Retrieved 2 October 2022. https://athleticsweekly.com/event-reports/kiprutos-closing-kick-lands-him-london-marathon-prize-1039961389/ ↩

28. "Abdi triumphs in the Rotterdam Marathon in a world leading 2:03:47". European Athletics. 16 April 2023. Retrieved 16 April 2023. https://www.european-athletics.com/news/abdi-triumphs-in-the-rotterdam-marathon-in-a-world-leading-2-03-47 ↩

29. "Bashir Abdi loopt blessure op en trekt streep door voorjaarsmarathon" (in Dutch). Atletieknieuws. 31 January 2024. Retrieved 22 August 2024. https://www.atni.be/2024/01/31/bashir-abdi-loopt-blessure-op-en-trekt-streep-door-voorjaarsmarathon/ ↩

30. "Belgium's road to Olympic gold: the marathon". Belga. 15 July 2024. Retrieved 22 August 2024. https://www.belganewsagency.eu/belgiums-road-to-olympic-gold-marathon ↩

31. "Ethiopia's late sub Tola wins marathon in Olympic record in brutal conditions over hugely challenging course". World Athletics. 10 August 2024. Retrieved 22 August 2024. https://worldathletics.org/news/report/paris-2024-olympics-report-men-marathon ↩