Abebe Bikila was an Ethiopian marathon runner who won the 1960 Rome Olympic marathon running it barefoot. He then went on to win the 1964 Tokyo Olympic marathon, this time in running shoes. Abebe Bikila passed away in 1973 at the age of 41 from complications following a motor vehicle accident.
His legacy has been used by the barefoot running community to show that marathons can be run barefoot. His legacy also includes a stadium in Addis Ababa that is named after him.
