Competing at his first IAAF World Indoor Championships, he finished seventh in the final of the 1500 m. After this he decided that he would not succeed over distance and permanently switched to the 5000 m, saying: "That’s enough for the 1500. It was tried, it didn’t work." Returning to the cross country championships, he improved to win the team silver at the 2001 edition, although he finished tenth overall. He finished eighth in the 5000 m at the 2001 World Championships in Athletics. He was selected for the 2001 IAAF Grand Prix Final, but he only managed eighth place in the 3000 m final. He also took part in the 5000 m at the 2001 Goodwill Games, just missing out on the medals in fourth. He began taking part in road races and won the Memorial Peppe Greco 10 km. He had his best ever cross country result at the 2002 edition in Belfast, winning a bronze medal for himself and helping Ethiopia to the team silver in the short race. He ran in the QSI 10 km and was second behind Haile Gebrselassie who set a world best for the distance.