Abebe Bikila: The barefoot marathoner who conquered Rome in 1960

On September 10, 1960, in Rome, an athlete still unknown to the general public crossed the finish line of the Olympic marathon without shoes. His name was Abebe Bikila, he came from Ethiopia, and he had just broken the world record. That day, he became the first Black African to be crowned Olympic marathon champion.

A soldier turned runner

Abebe Bikila was born on August 7, 1932, in Jato, in the Shewa region, then part of the Ethiopian Empire. Around 1952, he joined the 5th Infantry Regiment of the Imperial Guard, where he would reach the rank of shambel, the equivalent of a captain. It was in uniform, far from the spotlight, that his long-distance running career took shape, leading to his selection to represent Ethiopia at the Rome Games.

Barefoot in the streets of Rome

Why did he run without shoes? According to the account reported by World Athletics, his shoes were damaged in the final days before the Games. A pair bought on-site gave him blisters, so he decided to run barefoot.

The race started in the late afternoon, at 5:30 p.m., to avoid the heat, and ended at nightfall: Italian soldiers lit the course with torches. The route passed by an Ethiopian monument, the Obelisk of Axum, which was then standing in the Piazza di Porta Capena in Rome. In the final stretch, the Ethiopian pulled away from Moroccan Rhadi Ben Abdesselam and crossed the finish line at the foot of the Arch of Constantine in 2:15:16, a world record. His rival finished in 2:15:41, just 25 seconds behind.

A victory that transcends sport

The symbolism is powerful. Ethiopia had been invaded by Fascist Italy in 1935 and occupied until 1941; twenty-five years later, it was an Ethiopian soldier who won a gold medal in the heart of Rome. In 1960, the year many African countries gained independence, this race became a moment of continental pride for many.

Tokyo 1964: The double

Bikila did not settle for just one feat. In 1964, in Tokyo, he won the marathon again, this time wearing Puma shoes, in 2:12:11, a new world record. He became the first runner to successfully defend his Olympic marathon title.

Tragedy and a second life

On March 22, 1969, Bikila lost control of his Volkswagen Beetle. He was paralyzed: first from the neck down, then, after some improvement, only from the waist down. The athlete would never walk again. However, he refused to give up on sports: in 1970, he participated in the Stoke Mandeville Games (archery and table tennis), and in 1971 he won a sled dog race in Norway.

Abebe Bikila died on October 25, 1973, in Addis Ababa, at the age of 41, from a cerebral hemorrhage linked to his accident.

Key takeaways

Abebe Bikila showed that a runner from Africa could dominate the global marathon scene. His two Olympic titles, in 1960 and 1964, make him a legend of African athletics.