 He paid thanks to his trainer, former athlete Getaneh Tessema, for his first victory over the distance with a time establishing him as the fifth fastest Ethiopian ever over the marathon.He returned to the RAK Half Marathon at the start of the following year but was a minute and a half off his best time, finishing in sixth.He did not compete for the rest of the year, but returned at the 2012 Paris Half Marathon, taking fifth in a time of 1