Ahmad Hassan Abdullah (, born Albert Chepkurui on July 29, 1981, Athlete Profile at iaaf.org. Retrieved 8 January 2013. in Kaptarakwa, Kenya) is a long-distance and cross country runner, now representing Qatar after his switch from Kenya in 2003. Other runners who have made the same switch include Saif Saeed Shaheen.

Abdullah has won bronze medals at the 2005 IAAF World Cross Country Championships and the 2004 and 2008 editions of the IAAF World Half Marathon Championships. He represented Qatar over 10,000 metres at the 2008 Beijing Olympics and three times at the IAAF World Championships in Athletics. He is a two-time Asian champion in the 10,000 m (2003 and 2007) and holds the Asian record with his personal best time of 26:38.76 minutes.

Career Abdullah has competed numerous times at the IAAF World Cross Country Championships. He made his first appearance as a junior athlete at the 1999 race, finishing in fifth place. In the senior section, he was sixth in the 2001 short race and 2002 long race, before missing 2003 amid his switch to represent Qatar. He returned in 2004 to take fourth in the short race. In 2005 he race in both races and was the long race bronze medallist and eighth in the short race. He performed less well after that, with finishes ranging from eighth to 18th in the period from 2006 to 2010.Abdullah Ahmad Hassan. IAAF. Retrieved 1 May 2012.

He has enjoyed success at the Asian Cross Country Championships, winning the individual and team gold medals at the 2007 and 2009 competitions. He won both the individual and team titles at the 2008 edition of the World Military Cross Country Championships.Previous CISM Results . CISM. Retrieved on 19 December 2010. He has competed on the Spanish cross country circuit and won the Cross Zornotza in 2005.

On the track Abdullah has typically competed in the 10,000 m. He holds the Asian and Qatari records for the distance with his personal best of 26:38.76 minutes, set at the Memorial Van Damme meeting in 2003. He was the bronze medallist in the event at the 2001 Goodwill Games,Goodwill Games results. GBR Athletics. Retrieved 30 July 2009. In his first outings as a Qatari athlete he came fourth in the 10,000 m at the 2003 World Championships in Athletics, before taking the regional title in the event at the 2003 Asian Athletics Championships. At the 2007 Asian Athletics Championships, he won a second Asian title and also a silver medal over 5000 metres behind his compatriot Felix Kibore.Asian Championships. GBR Athletics. Retrieved 1 May 2012. He ran at the 2007 World Championships in Athletics, but did not manage to finish. On his Olympic debut at the 2008 Beijing Olympics he came eighth in the 10,000 m and was the only runner in the top ten to represent a non-African nation. He was eleventh at the 2009 World Championships in Athletics, then was only a bronze medallist at the 2009 Asian Athletics Championships, as he was beaten by two other former Kenyans, Nicholas Kemboi and Hasan Mahboob.

At the IAAF World Half Marathon Championships he has competed three times and reached the podium twice. He was third in 2004, 24th in 2007 and took a second bronze medal at the 2008 race. On the road circuit, he was the 2003 winner of the Bellin Run.

After a break from international competition lasting from late 2010 through 2011, Abdullah made his marathon debut in 2012 at the Hamburg Marathon and finished the race in a time of 2:08:36 hours, coming fifth overall.

International competitions Representing 2001World Cross Country Championships Ostend, Belgium6thShort race2002World Cross Country Championships Dublin, Ireland6thLong race1stTeam competitionRepresenting 2003World Championships Paris, France4th10,000 m27:18.28World Athletics Final Monte Carlo, Monaco10th5000 m2004World Cross Country Championships Brussels, Belgium4thShort race2ndTeam competitionWorld Half Marathon Championships New Delhi, India3rdHalf marathonWorld Athletics Final Monte Carlo, Monaco6th5000 m2005World Cross Country Championships Saint-Étienne, France3rdLong race3rdTeam competition8thShort race3rdTeam competition2006World Cross Country Championships Fukuoka, Japan14thLong race6thTeam competition2007Asian Championships Amman, Jordan2nd5000 m14:08.661st10,000 m29:45.95Pan Arab Games Cairo, Egypt6th5000 m13:46.455th10,000 m29:35.90

Personal bests 3000 metres - 7:43.01 min (1999) 5000 metres - 12:56.27 min (2003) 10,000 metres - 26:38.76 min (2003) Half marathon - 1:01:46 hrs (2007) Marathon - 2:08:36 hrs (2012)

See also List of eligibility transfers in athletics

References

External links