Belayneh Densamo

Belayneh Densamo (born June 28, 1965) is an Ethiopian former long-distance runner and marathon specialist. He represented his country at the 1996 Summer Olympics, entering as the world record holder, but failed to finish the marathon race.

Belayneh was born in Diramo Afarrara, Sidamo. He held the world record in the marathon for 10 years (1988-1998). This was the third longest span without the record being broken since the event was first organized at the 1896 Olympics. The record was set when he ran 2:06:50 at the 1988 Rotterdam Marathon in the Netherlands. The record was eventually broken by Ronaldo da Costa at the Berlin Marathon in 1998.

As of 2009, Belayneh lives in the area of Cambridge, Massachusetts. He is no longer active in international competition.

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