Ibrahim Jeilan Gashu (Amharic: ዕብራህም ጅእላን ጋሹ; born 12 June 1989) is an Ethiopian professional long-distance runner who specialises in the 5000 metres and 10,000 metres on the track, as well as cross country running. He is a former world champion in 10,000 metres. After winning silver at the 2005 World Youth Championships, he rose to prominence in 2006 by winning the Ethiopian 10,000 m title and a gold at the IAAF World Junior Championships in Athletics. He then ran a world youth best of 27:02.81 over 10,000 m – also the second best ever run by a junior after Samuel Wanjiru. After an underwhelming 2007 season he scored greater success in 2008, becoming the 2008 World Junior Cross Country Champion and then taking the 10,000 m silver at the African Championships. He also won the long-running Giro di Castelbuono road race in Italy. He failed to continue this form the following year and ran only a handful of major races, including the Beach to Beacon 10K. He is currently based on Saitama, Japan and coached by Kiyoshi Akimoto. Career Early life and junior career A native of the Bale Province, Ethiopia, he became attracted to the idea of professional running after seeing his countryman Haile Gebrselassie beat Paul Tergat to win gold at the 2000 Sydney Olympics. He began competing internationally for his country at the age of 16 and he won the 3000 metres silver medal at the 2005 World Youth Championships in Athletics, finishing behind compatriot Abreham Cherkos. That November he competed at the Great Ethiopian Run and finished fourth, setting a 10 km road best of 28:45.99. The following year he took fifth place in the junior race at the 2006 IAAF World Cross Country Championships, helping the Ethiopian juniors, led by Tariku Bekele, to the team silver medal. Success on the track followed soon after as he won the Ethiopian title in the 10,000 metres, beating Tadesse Tola, and then won gold in the event at the 2006 World Junior Championships in Athletics He took part in the 10,000 m at the Memorial van Damme in Brussels and was fourth in a high calibre field, setting a world youth best of 27:02.81 in the process. In January 2007, he helped his club (Muger Cement Sports Club) to second place at the Ethiopian Marathon Relay Championships, then went on to win the Cross de San Sebastián