Haregeweyni Kalayu
Ethiopian middle-distance runner
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Haregeweyni Kalayu (born 29 May 2009) is an Ethiopia middle-distance runner. In 2026, she set an African under-18 indoor record in the 1500 metres.[1]
Indoors
1500m: 4:01.92 (Ostrava, 2026) AU18B
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | 29 May 2009 |
| Sport | |
| Sport | Athletics |
Event | Middle-distance running |
| Achievements and titles | |
| Personal bests | 1500m: 3:59.28 (Rabat, 2026) Indoors 1500m: 4:01.92 (Ostrava, 2026) AU18B |
Biography
During the 2026 indoor season, Kalaya began to compete on the World Athletics Indoor Tour over 1500 metres. She ran an outright personal best of 4:01.92 for the 1500 metres competing at the Czech Indoors Gala in Ostrava, Czechia, on 3 February 2026, where she finished in third place behind compatriots Birke Haylom and Saron Berhe.[2][3] She followed that three days later, with a fifth-place finish at the World Athletics Indoor Tour Hold meeting in Madrid over 1500 metres, running a time of 4:06.74 on 6 February.[4] She also had a top-ten finish at the Meeting Hauts-de-France Pas-de-Calais Trophée EDF in Lievin, France on 19 February 2026 in the 1500 m.[5] Later that month, she placed fourth in 4:03.75 at the 2026 Copernicus Cup in Toruń, behind Agathe Guillemot and compatriots Freweyni Hailu and Birke Haylom.[6]
In March 2026, she was selected alongside Berhe and Haylom for the Ethiopian team to compete in the 1500 m at the 2026 World Athletics Indoor Championships in Kuyavian–Pomeranian, Poland.[7][8] However, on the eve of the championships it was reported that she was one of a number of Ethiopian athletes, including Berhe and Tsige Duguma, who were unable to compete due to issues obtaining the requisite VISA.[9][10] On 31 May, two days after her 17th birthday, she was second in 3:59.28 behind Hailu in the 1500 metres at the 2026 Meeting International Mohammed VI d'Athlétisme de Rabat in Morocco.[11][12][13] 7 June, she had a top-four finish in the 1500 m at the 2026 Bauhausgalan in Stockholm and on 19 June, placed third in the 1500 metres with 4:03.56 at the 2026 Doha Diamond League.[14][15] In September, she placed twelfth over 1500 m at the inaugural World Ultimate Championship in Budapest.[16]