Biography
Abebe Bikila, also credited as Shambel Abebe Bikila, was an Ethiopian marathon runner and occasional film subject. Born on 7 August 1932 in Jato, Ethiopia, he joined the Imperial Guard and began competitive running in his mid-twenties.
He won the Olympic marathon gold medal in Rome in 1960, running barefoot, and successfully defended the title in Tokyo in 1964, setting a world record on both occasions. He appeared as himself in the documentary Tokyo Olympiad (1965). Bikila died on 25 October 1973 in Addis Ababa following complications from a 1969 car accident.
