Birke Haylom

Birke Haylom (born 6 January 2006) is an Ethiopian long-distance runner. She won gold at the 1500 metres at the 2022 World Athletics U20 Championships.^[1] In February 2023 she won a silver medal in the mixed relay at the 2023 World Athletics Cross Country Championships. She is the U20 world record holder in the mile run, 5000 metres, and 1500 metres and 3000 metres indoors.

Birke Haylom

Haylom (far left) in 2023
Personal information
Nationality	Ethiopian
Born	(2006-01-06) January 6, 2006 (age 19) Alaje, Tigray Region, Ethiopia
Sport
Country	Ethiopia
Sport	Athletics
Event	Long-distance running
Achievements and titles
Personal best(s)	1500 m: 3:57.66 (Rabat 2023) Mile: 4:17.13 WU20R (Oslo 2023) 3000m 8:25.37 (Liévin, 2025) WU20R 5000m 14:23.71 WU20R (Eugene, 2024)
Medal record Women's athletics Representing  Ethiopia World Junior Championships 2022 Cali 1500 m World Cross Country Championships 2023 Bathurst Mixed relay

Career

Haylom won the gold medal in the 1500 metres at the 2022 World Athletics U20 Championships in Cali, Colombia in August 2022. She ran a championship record time of 4:04.27.^[2][3]

2023

In February 2023 she won a silver medal in the mixed relay at the 2023 World Athletics Cross Country Championships, held in Bathurst, Australia. Her Ethiopia team completed the course in 23:21, with Haylom racing alongside Adehana Kasaye, Hawi Abera, and Getnet Wale.^[4]

At the Diamond League meeting in Doha on 5 May 2023, she ran a new personal best time of 4:01.86 for the 1500m, finishing sixth in the race.^[5] Competing in the Diamond League in Rabat in May 2023, she set a new African under-18 1500m record of 3:57.66 as she finished third behind compatriots Freweyni Hailu and Gudaf Tsegay.^[6]

At the Bislett Games on 15 June 2023, she won the Dream Mile in 4:17.13, a World U20 record. ^[7]

Selected for the 1500m at the 2023 World Athletics Championships, she qualified for the final and finished ninth overall.^[8]

2024

Competing in Boston, Massachusetts in February 2024, she set a new indoor 1500m world U20 record time of 3:58.43.^[9] She qualified for the final of the women's 1500 metres race at the 2024 World Athletics Indoor Championships in Glasgow. In the final she finished in ninth place with a time of 4:06.27.^[10]

She ran a world under-20 record of 14:23.71 to place fifth in the 5000 metres at the 2024 Prefontaine Classic in Eugene, Oregon.^[11] She finished fourth in the 1500m at the 2024 BAUHAUS-galan Diamond League event in Stockholm on 2 June 2024.^[12] She competed in the 1500 metres at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris in August 2024, reaching the semi-final.^[13]

2025

In February 2025, she took seven seconds off the world U20 indoor record with 8:25.37, in Liévin on 13 February 2025.^[14] She lowered her 1500 metres indoors personal best on 16 February 2025, running 3:59.82 at the Copernicus Cup on 16 February 2025.^[15] She was selected for the 3000 metres at the 2025 World Athletics Indoor Championships in Nanjing in March 2025.^[16] She finished third over 5000 metres at the 2025 Xiamen Diamond League event in China, in April 2025,^[17] and fourth over 5000 metres at the 2025 Golden Gala in Rome and third over 1500 metres at the 2025 Meeting de Paris.^[18][19]