Gashau Ayale

Gashau Ayale (גשאו איילה; born 22 August 1996) is an Ethiopian-born Israeli long-distance runner. In May 2022, Ayale set an Israeli record in the 10,000 metres, running 27:49.88. He won the bronze medal in the marathon at the European Athletics Championships, and a gold medal in the 2022 team European Marathon Cup. In February 2024, he won a bronze medal at the Seville Marathon with a time of 2:04:53, setting a new Israeli record. He will represent Israel at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris in the marathon on August 10, 2024.

Early life
Ayale was born in the village of Gojam in Ethiopia to Tabak (his father) and Tesfia (his mother), and is Jewish. At two years of age he and his family moved to Gondar, Ethiopia.

Ayale immigrated to Israel in 2010, at 13 years of age, with his parents and five brothers. They initially lived in a reception center in Safed, Israel, and then later the family moved to Jaffa, Israel. His father works as a cook, and his mother works as a cleaning lady. He only began running at 18 years of age, as before that he was interested in soccer. He trains with Maccabi Tel Aviv.

2017–19
On July 13, 2017, at the 2017 Maccabiah Games in Jerusalem, Israel, in the 5,000 metre race Ayale ran it in 14:46.25, winning a silver medal.

On November 17, 2018, in the Hasharon 10 km, he ran a 29:23, winning a bronze medal.

On January 4, 2019, Ayale won the Tiberias 10 km in 29:37.

On July 6, 2019, at the 2019 European 10,000m Cup in London he ran a 28:50.47, winning a bronze medal.

On July 24, 2019, at the Israeli Championships in Tel Aviv, Israel, in the 1,500 metre race Ayale ran a 3:48.81, winning a silver medal.

On July 25, 2019, at the Israeli Championships in the 5,000 metre race Ayale ran a 14:09.82, winning a bronze medal.

2020–22
On September 18, 2020, Ayale won the Tel Aviv 15km in a time of 44:36.

On February 25, 2022, in the Tel Aviv Half Marathon, Ayale ran a 1:03:25 and won a silver medal.

On April 26, 2022, at the Israeli 10,000m Championships in Tel Aviv he ran a 28:03.20, winning a silver medal.

In May 2022, in the European Cup in London, Ayale set a national record in the 10,000 metres, running 27:49.88 to become the first Israeli to break 28 minutes in the event.

On August 15, 2022, Ayale won the bronze medal in the marathon at the European Athletics Championships held in Munich, Germany, with a time of 2:10:29, directly behind fellow Israeli Maru Teferi. He was also a member of the gold medal team for Israel winning the European Marathon Cup at the same competition. He said, referring to the Munich massacre, "Fifty years after what happened here, winning a medal and waving the Israeli flag is just so sweet."

On December 10, 2022, in the Tiberias Half Marathon, Ayale ran a 1:02:38 and won a silver medal.

2023–present
On June 10, 2023, Ayale won the Israeli League Cup 5,000 metre race in 13:47.78.

On February 18, 2024, Ayale won a bronze medal at the Seville Marathon, in Sevilla, Spain, with a time of 2:04:53, setting a new Israeli record as he broke his own national record by 40 seconds. It was his first international marathon, and the second marathon in his life. It was the 84th-fastest marathon of all time.

In June 2024, Maru Teferi (fourth place; 1:01:07--seven seconds behind the winner), Ayale (seventh place; 1:01:28), and Girmaw Amare (ninth place) secured Team Israel's second-place finish in the team half marathon event in the 2024 European Athletics Championships in Rome, Italy. A half marathon was run rather than a full marathon because of the proximity of the race to the Paris Olympics marathon.

Ayale will represent Israel at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris in the marathon on August 10, 2024. He said: "It is a great honor for me to represent Israel, especially in this painful time for the people of Israel. I look forward to wearing the uniform of the Israeli national team and running through the streets of Paris with the Israeli flag on my chest. I promise to do my very best to represent our country with honor."

Personal life
Ayale has a younger brother, Yehuda Darba Ayala, who holds Israel's national U23 5,000 metres record.

Personal bests

 * 3000 metres – 8:05.64 (Tel Aviv 2020)
 * 5000 metres – 13:47.78 (Tel Aviv 2023)
 * 10,000 metres – 27:49.88 (London 2022)
 * Road
 * 10 kilometres – 29:23 (Hod HaSharon 2018)
 * Half marathon – 1:02:38 (Tiberias 2022)
 * Marathon – 2:04:53 (Seville 2024)