A native of the Bale Province, Ethiopia, he became attracted to the idea of professional running after seeing his countryman Haile Gebrselassie beat Paul Tergat to win gold at the 2000 Sydney Olympics. He began competing internationally for his country at the age of 16 and he won the 3000 metres silver medal at the 2005 World Youth Championships in Athletics, finishing behind compatriot Abreham Cherkos. That November he competed at the Great Ethiopian Run and finished fourth, setting a 10 km road best of 28:45.99. The following year he took fifth place in the junior race at the 2006 IAAF World Cross Country Championships, helping the Ethiopian juniors, led by Tariku Bekele, to the team silver medal. Success on the track followed soon after as he won the Ethiopian title in the 10,000 metres, beating Tadesse Tola, and then won gold in the event at the 2006 World Junior Championships in Athletics He took part in the 10,000 m at the Memorial van Damme in Brussels and was fourth in a high calibre field, setting a world youth best of 27:02.81 in the process.