Ethiopian celebrities don’t come much bigger than marathoner Gebregziabher Gebremariam. This much is clear when he enters the Addis Red Sea restaurant.

A couple of starstruck waitresses tentatively approach Gebregziabher and say, “Selam”. At the far end of the main dining room, a group of Ethiopian coffee promoters recently arrived from the capital Addis Ababa spot Gebregziabher and shout the same greeting. Before the night is over, the waitresses, the coffee promoters, and a handful of other patrons will pose for pictures with Gebregziabher and wish him good luck in the Boston Marathon on Monday.

With a personal best of 2 hours 4 minutes 53 seconds, Gebregziabher, 28, is among the favorites for the men’s title. He should challenge defending champion Wesley Korir from Kenya for the win.

Gebregziabher Gebremariamis one half of the first couple of Ethiopian distance running. His wife, Werknesh Kidane, is a sports star in her own right. When they met, she was the more accomplished, better-known runner. Kidane will compete in the BAA 5K on Sunday. Asked if she has given her husband any marathon advice, Kidane, the tiny, soft-spoken opposite of her tall, talkative husband, says, “Yes, train well and rest well.”

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