Efrem Gidey has come a long way in eight years but there's still plenty of road to go

In 2016, Efrem Giey fled war-torn Eritrea, eventually ending up in Ireland. He is now an Irish citizen, an Irish record holder, and a professional athlete. 

Efrem Gidey, the Irish Record Holder for the Half Marathon, officially opened entries for the new Dublin City Half Marathon. Photo by Sam Barnes/Sportsfile

It’s been a long road. But Efrem Gidey is used to that. From fleeing the war-torn country of Eritrea to spending several months at a refugee camp in France to starting a new life in Dublin, he’s come an awfully long way over the past eight years. Though there’s lots of distance left to run.

The 24-year-old is now an Irish citizen. He’s an Irish record holder, having scorched a 60:51 half marathon in Copenhagen last September. He’s also now a full-time, professional athlete, running for Hoka, and has a slew of international caps to his name, most notably his sixth-place finish over 10,000m at the European Championships in 2022.