Agnes Tirop’s best friend Teferi opens up on the deep pain of her death

The death of long distance star runner Agnes Tirop shook her best friend and Ethiopian athlete, Senbere Teferi, to the core. She was deeply devastated and wondered what had happened to humanity.

The 2015 World Athletics Cross Country Championship title holder was found murdered at her home in Iten, Elgeyo-Marakwet County on October 13, 2021.

Her estranged husband Ibrahim Rotich was arrested over the incident and charged with murder. He denied the charges and remains in police custody.

When Tirop, 25, won the world cross title in 2015 in Beijing, China, Teferi finished second. They became friends and their bond grew as the years went by.

I recently interviewed Teferi at Entoto Forest Park and also at Sandafa in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia where she holds her training. Sandafa is a high-altitude area popular with athletes for early morning training.

After she was through with her hill work training session — which is aimed at boosting endurance — we left for her home where she served us porridge, barley, milk, honey, bread and bananas.

Teferi said she takes the meal regularly because it helps her regain energy after training.

Soon after we got into the interview and she told me how Tirop had been a close friend and they shared a lot, including about their families and careers.

The friends were focused on their careers and have each made a mark. When Tirop set a new world record of 30 minutes :01 seconds (30:01) in the 10 kilometres race during the Adizero Road to Records, Herzogenaurach in Germany on June 8 2021, Teferi  clocked 14:29 to break the 5km world record during the same event.

“Tirop and I became good friends after she defeated me during the 2015 World Athletics Cross Country  Championships in China. After that we met at various other global races. Our friendship became even stronger because we were under the same management of Gianni Demadonna,” said Teferi, who has since moved to Elite Sports and Marketing Management.

Teferi has vivid memories of the 2015 race in China. She recalls that she was in the lead with competitors from Kenya and her compatriots in hot pursuit. Then Tirop surged forward in the last 200 metres and sprinted all the way to victory.

“Tirop’s death really touched me. As my best friend we compared notes a lot about races.  It was deeply saddening to lose a nice person in such a brutal manner. I hope her family will get justice. She died at a time when the world was expecting more from her.

“Her career was just taking shape, and she was going to be the next big thing in long distance running. But this was cut short by her untimely death.  I still mourn her ,”  Teferi said.

In her honour, the World Athletics and Athletics Kenya held a cross country race - the Memorial Agnes Tirop World Cross Country Tour- on February 12 last year in Eldoret, Uasin Gishu County.

Teferi took part in the event, but unfortunately did not finish the race because she injured her foot.

“Agnes and I always had a good relationship even when we were competing. We came from one continent. When a Kenyan wins we celebrate as Ethiopians, and when an Ethiopian wins, Kenyans also celebrate. There is need to make the Kenya-Ethiopia bond stronger,” said Teferi.

Born in Guji, Oromia region in Ethiopia on May 3, 1995, Teferi went to Litu Primary School which was a long distance from her home.

While her siblings left for school, Teferi had to do the house chores first. Thereafter, she had to run all the way to school so that she could reach on time. That’s how she began running.

Her teacher noticed her talent during games and encouraged her to continue training. With time she won various events during school championships.

After she completed school, Teferi continued with training.  In 2011, she won the Zonal Cross Country Championships and that gave her an opportunity to join Ambo Athletics Club where she met other top athletes such as Tirunesh Dibaba, her sister Genzebe Dibaba, and Almaz Ayana among others.

The same year she was named to the Ethiopian national team which took part in the World Youth Championships in Lille, France.

Teferi won silver in the 1,500m race.  In 2012, she won a bronze medal in the 1,500m during the World Athletics Junior Championships held in Barcelona, Spain.

Her first assignment in the senior category was at the 2013 World Athletics Championships held in Moscow, Russia. Teferi lost in the 1,500m heats.

During the 2015 World Athletics Championships in Beijing, China, she bagged a silver medal in the 5,000m race.

Teferi was fifth in the 5,000m at the 2016 Rio Olympic Games in Brazil and fourth in the same race during the 2017 World Athletics Championships in London, United Kingdom.

She was sixth in the 10,000m at the 2019 World Athletics Championships in Doha, Qatar before finishing 10th over the distance at the delayed 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games held in 2021 due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Teferi launched her marathon career at the Dubai Marathon in 2018 where she was placed ninth after clocking two hours; 24 minutes:11 seconds (2:24:11) and competed in the Tokyo Marathon race in 2019 finishing seventh.

She got married to her coach, Mesfin Desalegn in 2014.

“Senbere is a hardworking athlete who follows instructions. We are expecting a better season this year,” her husband said.

Other athletes that I interviewed such as world marathon champion Tamirat Tola, former 3,000m World Indoor Championship title holder Yomif Kejelcha and two-time 5,000m world champion Muktar Idris said they love the competition between Kenyan and Ethiopian athletes.  The rivalry makes them train harder, they said.

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