Abebe Bikila: Barefoot Through the Streets of Rome

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A soldier in the palace guard of Ethiopian emperor Haile Selassie, Abebe Bikila had run only two official marathons before the 1960 Olympic Games in Rome. He entered the race as an unknown, but by the end of the 26 miles and 385 yards, he earned worldwide fame as well as a gold medal. Bikila not only set a world record in the event with a time of 2:15:16.2—becoming the first black African to win a gold medal in the marathon—but he also ran the entire marathon barefoot through the cobbled streets of Rome. Sportswriters with a flair for the ...(100 of 298 words)