ROBERTSON Zane

New Zealand

Athletics

Date of Birth: 14 Nov 1989

Age: 31

Gender: Male

Place of birth: HAMILTON

Birth Country:

New Zealand

Place of residence : ADDIS ABABA

Residence Country:

Ethiopia

Events and Medals
Records
Schedule
Bio
General Interest
Milestones

Events and Medals

Discipline	Event	Rank	Medal
Athletics	Men's Marathon	36

Schedule

Change

Start Time	Location	Event	Status
	Sapporo Odori Park	Men's Marathon Final	Finished

Biographical Information

Highlights

Athlete:

Olympic Games

Year	Location	10,000m
2016	Rio de Janeiro, BRA	12th (27:33.67)

World Athletics Championships

Year	Location	5000m	10,000m
2017	London, GBR	-	16th (27:48.59)
2013	Moscow, RUS	14th (13:46.55)	-

Gold Label Road Races

Rank	Event	Year	Location	Result
3	Marathon	2019	Gold Coast, QLD, AUS	2:08:19

Oceania Road Championships

Rank	Event	Year	Location	Result
1	Marathon	2019	Gold Coast, QLD, AUS	2:08:19

Legend
SF - Semifinal, QF - Quarterfinal, 1R - 1st Round, Qual. - Qualification, QR - Qualification Round, DNF - Did Not Finish, DNS - Did Not Start, DQ - Disqualified, NM - No Mark, [Relay athlete without time] - Did not run in final

Nickname:

Running Elvis [because he dyed his hair black to be distinguished from his twin brother]. (stuff.co.nz, 06 May 2016)

Occupation:

Athlete

Family:

Wife Bezawit Esayas

Languages spoken:

Amharic, English, Swahili

Club name:

Hamilton City Hawks [New Zealand]

Sporting relatives:

His twin brother Jake has also competed for New Zealand in long-distance running, including at the world championships in 2011 and 2013. (SportsDeskOnline, 25 Jun 2020; nzrun.com, 26 May 2010; stuff.co.nz, 02 Dec 2012; rotorualakescouncil.nz, 17 Jul 2020)

Injuries:

In January 2020 he sustained a hip injury in Ethiopia when a car he was travelling in was hit by a truck. (latimes.com, 06 Mar 2020)

Two sacral [lower back] stress fractures and a groin injury meant that he was unable to compete at the 2018 Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast, QLD, Australia. (pogophysio.com.au, 12 Jul 2019; nzherald.co.nz, 07 Jul 2019)

Start:

He took up athletics at age 14 at high school in Hamilton, New Zealand, and began training seriously in 2004. (ocregister.com, 07 Mar 2020; Athlete, 31 Jul 2014)

Ambition:

To compete at the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo. (stuff.co.nz, 16 Apr 2021; nzherald.co.nz, 16 Apr 2021)

Hero:

Moroccan middle-distance runner Hicham El Guerrouj. (athleticsillustrated.com, 28 Aug 2013)

Philosophy:

"Strength does not come from physical capacity. It comes from an indomitable will." (Facebook profile, 23 Jun 2020)

General Interest

General
LIVING IN AFRICA
In 2007 at age 17, he and his twin brother Jake moved from New Zealand to Kenya to train. Jake had the idea after sharing a room with Kenyan athletes during an international athletics meet, and they initially intended to only stay there for a few months. "Once we got there things went so well we never took the return ticket. I felt so at home as soon as we got to Africa. The USA collegiate system was the safe option, but I'm an extremist. I have never played it safe. This place [Kenya] has made me even stronger. Whenever I make it to the start line I'm ready. Walking at least 15 kilometres every day becomes normal." He later relocated to Ethiopia to train and live with his wife Bezawit, who is Ethiopian. (nyrr.org, 17 Mar 2016; spikes-mag.tumblr.com, 11 Jul 2013; stuff.co.nz, 02 Dec 2012; runnersworld.com, 06 May 2011; ocregister.com, 07 Mar 2020)

Social Media

Legend

:: Gold Medal Event
:: Silver Medal Event
:: Bronze Medal Event

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