Abraham – from refugee to Olympic rings
Swiss marathon record-holder Tadesse Abraham, a former refugee from Eritrea, reflects on his journey ahead of World Refugee Day, highlighting his integration challenges and Olympic ambitions.
Tadesse Abraham fled Eritrea in 2004 after competing in the World Cross Country Championships, arriving in Switzerland with no local language skills, cultural familiarity, or personal connections. The transition forced him to pause his running career while adapting to life in a refugee camp, where movement restrictions and unfamiliar surroundings initially hindered his training. Despite these obstacles, he resumed competition later that year, winning his first race in Switzerland with a time of 1:07:34 in the Winterthur Marathon half marathon.
After securing residency and travel documents in 2007, Abraham expanded his racing to international events, including Bologna, Bogotá, and Gongju, while also making strides in the marathon. His breakthrough came in 2009 with a 1:01:25 half marathon in Berlin and a victory in Zurich with a 2:10:09 marathon time. Swiss citizenship in 2014 allowed him to return to championship racing, culminating in a ninth-place finish at the 2014 European Championships in Zurich.
Abraham’s career peaked with a Swiss national marathon record of 2:06:40 in Seoul in 2016, followed by a European half marathon title in Amsterdam and a seventh-place finish at the Rio Olympics. Now 37, he remains motivated by Eliud Kipchoge’s discipline and longevity, training diligently at high-altitude locations like St Moritz in Switzerland to prepare for his second Olympics in Tokyo.
Beyond his athletic achievements, Abraham uses his platform to support refugees through the Human Safety Net charity, coaching refugee running teams and delivering virtual sessions during the pandemic. He also advocates for clean air quality as an ambassador for the World Athletics Run Smarter City Challenge, drawing from his experiences training in regions with severe air pollution.