Birhan Dagne (born 8 April 1978) is an Ethiopian-born, British former long-distance runner.
Biography Dagne was born, and grew up, in Ethiopia. She was a promising international athlete and in 1994 represented her country of birth; at the IAAF World Road Relay Championships, in both 3000m and 10000m at the World Junior Championships in Athletics, IAAF World Cross Country Championships and African Junior Athletics Championships.
At the age of 17 she was assaulted by a soldier because she was one of the minority Amhara ethnic group, while the ruling party in Ethiopia was Tigrayan. Later that year she flew to the UK as part of the Ethiopian junior cross country team for the 1995 IAAF World Cross Country Championships. Birhan finished fifth in the race and along with Alemitu Bekele(7th), Yemenashu Taye(8th) and Ayelech Worku(11th) took the silver medal in the team event. Early the following morning Dagne took a train to London, with fellow athletes Askale Bireda and Getenesh Tamirat, to seek political asylum. The UK Government refused asylum to the athletes, but Dagne and Bireda successfully appealed against this decision.
During this time the asylum seeking Ethiopian athletes trained at the Woodford Green with Essex Ladies athletic club. The IAAF approved her changes of allegiance on 1 December 1998 and soon after represented Great Britain at the 1999 IAAF World Cross Country Championships. She also finished second behind Hayley Haining in the 5,000 metres event at the 1999 AAA Championships and won the AAA title at the 2000 AAA Championships.
Dagne became a member of the London-based Belgrave Harriers athletics club and ran in many domestic Half-Marathon and Marathon races. In 2004 Dagne finished less than a minute behind the first Briton, a relatively unknown, Tracey Morris in the London Marathon. This performance meant she just missed out on a trip to the 2004 Olympic Games.
International Competition Representing 19941994 World Junior Championships in AthleticsLisbon, Portugal9th3000m9:20.5119941994 World Junior Championships in AthleticsLisbon, Portugal5th10000m34:13.5819941994 IAAF World Cross Country Championships JuniorsBudapest, Hungary10th4.3 km14:4819941994 African Junior Athletics ChampionshipsAlgiers, Algeria3rd3000m9:10.4719941994 African Junior Athletics ChampionshipsAlgiers, Algeria1st10000m33:49.1019951995 IAAF World Cross Country Championships JuniorsDurham, UK5th4.47 km14:25Representing 19991999 IAAF World Cross Country ChampionshipsBelfast, UK61st8.012 km30:5519991999 European Athletics U23 ChampionshipsGothenburg, Sweden9th10000m34:24.7019991999 IAAF World Half Marathon ChampionshipsPalermo, Italy29thHalf Marathon1:13:4120012001 IAAF World Half Marathon ChampionshipsBristol, UKHalf MarathonDNF
Other Races 1998Hastings Half MarathonHastings, UK1stHalf Marathon1:16:301998Blaydon RaceNewcastle upon Tyne, UK1st5.9miles31:181999Blaydon RaceNewcastle upon Tyne, UK1st5.9miles31:042000Blaydon RaceNewcastle upon Tyne, UK1st5.9miles31:182000Reading Half MarathonReading, UK1stHalf Marathon1:14:232004Silverstone Half MarathonSilverstone, UK1stHalf Marathon1:15:542004City of Norwich Half MarathonNorwich, UK1stHalf Marathon1:19:142004London MarathonLondon, UK11thMarathon2:34:452005Silverstone Half MarathonSilverstone, UK1stHalf Marathon1:16:252005Great Bristol Half MarathonBristol, UK1stHalf Marathon1:12:532006City of Norwich Half MarathonNorwich, UK1stHalf Marathon1:17:182006Hastings Half MarathonHastings, UK1stHalf Marathon1:15:502006Windsor Half MarathonWindsor, UK1stHalf Marathon1:15:102006Liverpool Half MarathonLiverpool, UK1stHalf Marathon1:15:012006London MarathonLondon, UK18thMarathon2:49:482007Hastings Half MarathonHastings, UK1stHalf Marathon1:16:022008Great Bristol Half MarathonBristol, UK1stHalf Marathon1:14:182008Run to the BeatLondon, UK1stHalf Marathon1:18:222008Great Birmingham RunBirmingham, UK1stHalf Marathon1:17:40
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