One of the world’s great marathon runners and early Paralympian Abebe Bikila, won his first gold medal at the Rome Summer Olympics on September 10, 1960. 

The Ethiopian hero set world records in both the Rome Olympics and Tokyo Olympics. He was also Ethiopia’s first Olympic gold medalist

Abebe Bikila
Part of a 5 stamp set issued
in 1990 by Ethiopia
Designed b Atlabachew Redda
(ኢትዮጵያውያን የማራቶን ሯጮች – አበበ ቢቂላ • Ethiopian Marathon Runners – Abebe Bikila – Ethiopost)

The 1960 Rome Olympics was a turning point for Bikila. Despite Ethiopia’s lack of experience in long-distance running, Bikila was determined to make a statement. What set him apart was his unorthodox decision to run the marathon barefoot, a choice made out of necessity as the shoes he purchased in Rome did not fit well and gave him blisters. He consequently decided to run barefoot instead. Many questioned the wisdom of this decision, but Bikila had faith in his abilities.

Abebe Bikila not only ran the entire 26.2-mile marathon barefoot but did so with exceptional speed. He sprinted through the streets of Rome, running along many of the wonders of Ancient Roma. The course passed along the Caracalla Baths, ran down the Appian Way, and finished under the Arch of Constantine. 

In the final stretch, Bikila broke away from his rivals, including Rhadi Ben Abdesselam of Morocco, to cross the finish line as the first person to complete a marathon in less than 2 hours and 16 minutes, shattering the previous world record held by Russia’s Sergei Popov.

Abebe Bikila: the Ethiopian Gold Medalist Who Ran Barefoot at the 1960 Rome Olympics – TalkAfricana

Abebe Bikila
Part of a 5 stamp set issued
in 1990 by Ethiopia
Designed b Atlabachew Redda

 

Abebe Bikila list of wins ran from his early days in the Ethiopian army to the last marathon he finished in South Korea.  (From Wikipedia’s page)

1956 
Armed Forces championship, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia 2nd

1960
Armed Forces championship, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia 1st 2:39:50

1960
Olympic Trials Addis Ababa, Ethiopia 1st 2:21:23
Olympic Games Rome, Italy 1st 2:15:16.2

1961
Athens International Marathon Athens, Greece 1st 2:23:44.6  
Mainichi Marathon Osaka, Japan 1st 2:29:27
Košice Marathon Košice, Czechoslovakia 1st 2:20:12.0

1963
Boston Marathon Boston, US 5th 2:24:43a

1964
Armed Forces championship. Addis Ababa, Ethiopia 1st 2:23:14.8

Olympic Trials Addis Ababa, Ethiopia 1st 2:16:18.8
Olympic Games Tokyo, Japan 1st 2:12:11.2

1965 
Mainichi Marathon Shiga Prefecture, Japan 1st 2:22:55.8

1966 
Zarautz International Marathon Zarautz, Spain 1st 2:20:28.8
Incheon–Seoul Marathon Seoul, South Korea 1st 2:17:04a

In 1969, Shambel Abebe Bikila was injured in a car accident and became a paraplegic. By 1970, Bikila was already competing in wheelchair-athlete archery and table tennis competitions. He participated in two early predecessors of the Paralympics, the Stoke Mandeville Wheelchair Games, a Norwegian games for disabled competition. In Norway, he beat out a field of 16 athletes in the cross-country sled dog racing with a time of 1 hour, 16 min and 17 seconds. His

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