Bekele was born into an Eastern Orthodox family of rural farmers in Shewa and was raised alongside his two brothers and two sisters. He was illiterate for much of his young life. Due to his talent for running he was brought into the national military sports programme, which was typical during the reign of the Derg. There he received a basic education and proper training for long-distance running. Over his career, Bekele was coached by Roba Negussie, a former Olympic sprinter and top Ethiopian coach who served as coach for Ethiopia's Olympic long-distance running team. Bekele made his global debut at the 1982 IAAF World Cross Country Championships. Running in the junior race, he placed tenth and was part of the winning Ethiopian team.