2009 World Championships in Athletics – Men's 10,000 metres

The Men's 10,000 metres at the 2009 World Championships in Athletics was held at the Olympic Stadium on 17 August. A large field of 31 athletes from 15 countries was set to participate in the final, although Irishman Martin Fagan did not start the competition.[1]

Events at the 2009 World Championships
Track events
100 m	men	women
200 m	men	women
400 m	men	women
800 m	men	women
1500 m	men	women
5000 m	men	women
10,000 m	men	women
100 m hurdles		women
110 m hurdles	men
400 m hurdles	men	women
3000 m steeplechase	men	women
4 × 100 m relay	men	women
4 × 400 m relay	men	women
Road events
Marathon	men	women
20 km walk	men	women
50 km walk	men
Field events
High jump	men	women
Pole vault	men	women
Long jump	men	women
Triple jump	men	women
Shot put	men	women
Discus throw	men	women
Hammer throw	men	women
Javelin throw	men	women
Combined events
Heptathlon		women
Decathlon	men

Kenenisa Bekele was the favourite before the race, having never lost a race over the distance and starting the race as the reigning Olympic and World champion, as well as the world record holder. Four-time major championship silver medallist Sileshi Sihine was another strong competitor,[2] but he withdrew due to an injury and was replaced by Ethiopian team's reserve Imane Merga.[3] Gebregziabher Gebremariam and Kenyans Moses Masai and Micah Kogo were other possible medallists, as well as the consistent Eritrean, Zersenay Tadese.[2]

Tadese sprinted to lead the race at the start but he was soon overtaken by Nicholas Kemboi, who led until the 4000-metre mark. Tadese and Masai picked up the pace and the Eritrean fronted the fastest group of runners from 5000 metres onwards. After a kilometre further on, a group of four runners (Tadese, Masai, Bekele and Kogo) were clearly leading the race as the other competitors trailed off. Tadese continued to lead and picked up the pace once again, at which point Kogo dropped off, shortly followed by Masai. Bekele continued to follow Tadese waiting, and on the last lap the reigning champion finally took the lead, sprinting away to win the gold medal in a Championship record time of 26:46.31. Tadese took the silver, with a run of 26:50.12, and Masai maintained his third position for the bronze.[4]

Ever the strongest performer, Bekele remained undefeated to win his fourth consecutive 10,000 m at the World Championships, but it was second-placed Tadese's first medal at the World Championships. Moses Masai's bronze was his family's second of the competition, as his sister Linet Masai had won the Women's 10,000 metres two days earlier.[4][5]