Ethiopia athletics prize money
Ethiopia has taken $3,242,000 out of athletics, 5th of the 121 countries the sport has paid. Freweyni Hailu is the biggest earner on $234,000, 7.2% of the national total.
$3,160,000 of that belongs to 95 athletes by name. The other $82,000 is the federation's, won by six teams whose purse is paid to the country rather than split between the runners.
Every Ethiopia athlete athletics has paid
95 of them, biggest first
| # | ATHLETE | PAID | WINS | TOTAL |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Freweyni Hailu | 32 | 7 | $234,000 |
| 2 | Likina Amebaw | 12 | 2 | $221,250 |
| 3 | Gudaf Tsegay | 24 | 7 | $216,000 |
| 4 | Yomif Kejelcha | 20 | 7 | $160,000 |
| 5 | Berihu Aregawi | 15 | 4 | $141,750 |
| 6 | Getnet Wale | 21 | 2 | $132,750 |
| 7 | Fantaye Belayneh | 10 | 1 | $105,750 |
| 8 | Lamecha Girma | 13 | 6 | $101,000 |
| 9 | Birke Haylom | 22 | 3 | $99,000 |
| 10 | Selemon Barega | 18 | 3 | $92,750 |
| 11 | Samuel Firewu | 17 | 2 | $88,500 |
| 12 | Hagos Gebrhiwet | 12 | 3 | $85,500 |
| 13 | Diribe Welteji | 12 | 4 | $85,250 |
| 14 | Tsige Duguma | 11 | 4 | $77,250 |
| 15 | Medina Eisa | 13 | 3 | $77,000 |
| 16 | Sembo Almayew | 14 | 1 | $75,000 |
| 17 | Ejgayehu Taye | 11 | — | $64,500 |
| 18 | Telahun Haile Bekele | 17 | 2 | $61,750 |
| 19 | Hirut Meshesha | 19 | 2 | $56,250 |
| 20 | Aleshign Baweke | 11 | 1 | $53,000 |
| 21 | Habitam Alemu | 19 | — | $51,500 |
| 22 | Werkuha Getachew | 4 | 2 | $47,250 |
| 23 | Gemechu Godana | 3 | 2 | $46,000 |
| 24 | Biniam Mehary | 9 | — | $45,000 |
| 25 | Genzebe Dibaba | 6 | 2 | $37,500 |
| 26 | Abrham Sime | 9 | 2 | $36,000 |
| 27 | Letesenbet Gidey | 5 | — | $36,000 |
| 28 | Tigst Assefa | 1 | — | $35,000 |
| 29 | Addisu Yihune | 5 | 2 | $33,750 |
| 30 | Nigist Getachew | 4 | — | $32,000 |
| 31 | Senayet Getachew | 8 | — | $31,500 |
| 32 | Samuel Tefera | 12 | — | $30,500 |
| 33 | Axumawit Embaye | 13 | — | $28,750 |
| 34 | Dawit Seyaum | 3 | 2 | $23,000 |
| 35 | Kuma Girma | 7 | — | $22,750 |
| 36 | Fotyen Tesfay | 5 | — | $22,000 |
| 37 | Fantu Worku | 6 | — | $19,250 |
| 38 | Mekides Abebe | 7 | — | $18,750 |
| 39 | Zerfe Wondemagegn | 7 | — | $18,750 |
| 40 | Worknesh Mesele | 10 | — | $18,250 |
| 41 | Tsigie Gebreselama | 4 | 1 | $18,000 |
| 42 | Muktar Edris | 5 | 1 | $17,250 |
| 43 | Saida Tsehaye | 3 | — | $16,000 |
| 44 | Saron Berhe | 6 | — | $16,000 |
| 45 | Hailemariyam Amare | 6 | — | $15,000 |
| 46 | Marta Alemayo | 6 | — | $13,750 |
| 47 | Chala Beyo | 4 | — | $13,250 |
| 48 | Lemlem Hailu | 5 | — | $13,250 |
| 49 | Lomi Muleta | 7 | — | $12,500 |
| 50 | Kena Tufa | 5 | — | $12,000 |
| 51 | Melknat Wudu | 9 | — | $11,500 |
| 52 | Asayech Ayichew | 3 | — | $10,500 |
| 53 | Aynadis Mebratu | 5 | — | $8,750 |
| 54 | Alemnat Walle | 5 | — | $8,500 |
| 55 | Tadese Takele | 3 | — | $8,500 |
| 56 | Hawi Feysa | 4 | — | $8,000 |
| 57 | Sofia Assefa | 2 | — | $8,000 |
| 58 | Tadese Worku | 2 | — | $7,750 |
| 59 | Mezgebu Sime | 3 | — | $7,500 |
| 60 | Aman Wote | 3 | — | $5,500 |
| 61 | Hawi Abera | 2 | — | $5,500 |
| 62 | Teddese Lemi | 3 | — | $4,750 |
| 63 | Haregeweyni Kalayu | 1 | — | $4,000 |
| 64 | Taresa Tolosa | 1 | — | $4,000 |
| 65 | Alemaz Samuel | 2 | — | $3,500 |
| 66 | Bernesh Dessie | 1 | — | $3,000 |
| 67 | Besu Sado | 1 | — | $3,000 |
| 68 | Khairi Bejiga | 2 | — | $3,000 |
| 69 | Elsabet Amare | 1 | — | $2,500 |
| 70 | Mekedes Alemeshete | 3 | — | $2,500 |
| 71 | Yenenesh Shimeket | 1 | — | $2,500 |
| 72 | Chaltu Dida | 1 | — | $2,000 |
| 73 | Etenesh Diro | 1 | — | $2,000 |
| 74 | Samuel Abate | 3 | — | $2,000 |
| 75 | Gela Hambese | 2 | — | $1,750 |
| 76 | Meskerem Mamo | 1 | — | $1,500 |
| 77 | Mizan Alem | 1 | — | $1,500 |
| 78 | Samuel Duguna | 2 | — | $1,500 |
| 79 | Tigist Girma | 1 | — | $1,500 |
| 80 | Yenawa Nbret | 1 | — | $1,500 |
| 81 | Ayal Dagnachew | 1 | — | $1,250 |
| 82 | Girmawit Gebrzihair | 1 | — | $1,250 |
| 83 | Milkesa Mengesha | 1 | — | $1,250 |
| 84 | Almaz Ayana | 1 | — | $1,000 |
| 85 | Aster Areri | 1 | — | $1,000 |
| 86 | Beyenu Degefa | 1 | — | $1,000 |
| 87 | Frehiwot Gesese | 1 | — | $1,000 |
| 88 | Tsiyon Abebe | 1 | — | $1,000 |
| 89 | Yenew Alamirew | 1 | — | $1,000 |
| 90 | Netsanet Desta | 1 | — | $750 |
| 91 | Tigist Ketema | 1 | — | $750 |
| 92 | Ermias Girma | 1 | — | $500 |
| 93 | Gemechu Dida | 1 | — | $500 |
| 94 | Nibret Kinde | 1 | — | $500 |
| 95 | Wubrist Aschal | 1 | — | $500 |
Career totals across all six competitions, not a single season. PAID is how many finishing places were paid for, which is a different count from wins: a second place in a Diamond League final and a world title are both one payment. 94 of these athletes have a page of their own here.
The biggest earners
The top twelve of 95
Freweyni Hailu holds 7.2% of everything Ethiopia has won in athletics. The three biggest hold 20.7% of it between them, and $33,263 is what the national total works out at per paid athlete.
Where the money comes from
All six competitions, and what each has sent Ethiopia
| COMPETITION | ATHLETES | WINS | TO ATHLETES | TO FEDERATION | TOTAL |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Diamond League | 94 | 75 | $2,558,000$2.6m | — | $2,558,000$2.6m |
| World Championships | 12 | — | $194,000 | — | $194,000 |
| Indoor Championships | 7 | 2 | $156,000 | — | $156,000 |
| Ultimate Championship | 2 | 1 | $190,000 | — | $190,000 |
| World Relays | — | — | — | — | — |
| Cross Country | 6 | 2 | $62,000 | $82,000 | $144,000 |
| All six | 95 | 80 | $3,160,000$3.2m | $82,000 | $3,242,000$3.2m |
The Diamond League is the biggest of the six for Ethiopia on $2,558,000, 78.9% of the national total. Five of the six have paid Ethiopia. Ethiopia has won nothing at the World Relays.
The ATHLETES column counts the people each competition paid, so it does not add up to 95: 21 athletes have been paid by more than one of the six, and are counted in every row that paid them and once in the national total. Freweyni Hailu has been paid by three of them: the Diamond League, the World Championships and the World Indoor Championships.
The cheques that went to the federation
6 team payments, paid to Ethiopia rather than to anyone who ran
| RACE | PLACE | WHO RAN | PURSE |
|---|---|---|---|
| Senior men's race, 2026 | 1st | Berihu Aregawi, Tadese Worku, Biniam Mehary, Nibret Kinde | $20,000 |
| Senior women's race, 2026 | 1st | Senayet Getachew, Asayech Ayichew, Aleshign Baweke, Alem Tsadik | $20,000 |
| Senior women's race, 2024 | 2nd | Bertukan Welde, Mebrat Gidey, Tadelech Bekele, Sisay Meseret Gola | $16,000 |
| Senior men's race, 2024 | 3rd | Berihu Aregawi, Boki Diriba, Tadese Worku, Chimdessa Debele | $12,000 |
| Mixed relay, 2024 | 2nd | Taresa Tolosa, Dahdi Dube, Adehena Kasaye, Birri Abera | $8,000 |
| Mixed relay, 2026 | 3rd | Wegene Adisu, Gela Hambese, Milkesa Fikadu, Hirut Meshesha | $6,000 |
None of this is in any athlete's total above, here or anywhere else on the site. A relay purse is paid to the team whole, a World Relays ladder place is a country's, and a cross country team standing pays the federation behind the first four runners home.
Ethiopia against the rest
Where $3,242,000 puts Ethiopia
That is 4.3% of the $74,963,667 athletics has paid to a country, and 5th out of 121. Ethiopia has Great Britain above on $3,411,000 and Australia below on $2,530,500.
The biggest of the 121 is the United States on $16,292,792, which is 21.7% of everything the sport has paid to a country. The full money list ranks every one of them, and the six competitions behind these figures each have a section of their own.
Countries either side of Ethiopia
- United States
- Jamaica
- Kenya
- Great Britain
- Australia
- Italy
- Netherlands
- Sweden
- Germany
- Norway
- Ukraine
- Canada
- Switzerland
- France
- Cuba
- Poland
- Botswana
- South Africa
- Greece
- China
- Brazil
- Spain
- New Zealand
- Dominican Republic
- Portugal
- Japan
- Nigeria
- Bahrain
- Belgium
- Slovenia
- Uganda
- Czechia
- Morocco
- Algeria
- Bahamas
- Serbia
- Grenada
- Saint Lucia
- Authorised Neutral Athletes
- Ivory Coast
Frequently asked questions
How much prize money has Ethiopia won in athletics?
$3,242,000 across the six competitions this section holds: the Diamond League, the World Championships, the World Indoor Championships, the Ultimate Championship, the World Relays and the World Cross Country Championships. That is 5th of the 121 countries athletics has paid, and 4.3% of the $74,963,667 the sport has sent to a country.
Which Ethiopia athlete earns the most prize money?
Freweyni Hailu, on $234,000 from 32 paid finishes and seven wins. That is 7.2% of everything Ethiopia has won. Likina Amebaw is next on $221,250.
Does prize money won by Ethiopia go to the athlete or the federation?
$3,160,000 of that belongs to 95 athletes by name. The other $82,000 is the federation's, won by six teams whose purse is paid to the country rather than split between the runners.
How many athletes from Ethiopia have won athletics prize money?
95, sharing $3,160,000 between them, which is $33,263 each. 27 of them have won a title, 80 in all. 21 have been paid by more than one of the six competitions.
Where to next
The competitions that paid Ethiopia
Every figure on this page comes out of one of the six below, and each has its own section here, event by event and edition by edition, with the full ladder of what each finishing place was worth. The country money list puts Ethiopia against the other 120 the sport has paid.