Step 3: The Ascent (Miles 23–25)

Step 3: The Ascent (Miles 23–25)

The course features a punishing climb toward the final stretch. This is where Abebaw’s training in the Ethiopian highlands pays off. While his competitors’ legs turn to lead, Abebaw’s form remains perfect. His shoulders are relaxed, his core engaged.

He begins to hallucinate the red dust of his home trails. He hears the encouragement of his people—the collective spirit of a nation that has birthed the greatest runners in history. He pushes. He is no longer a man; he is an expression of kinetic grace. He opens a 50-meter gap, then 100.