Gianni Demadonna: The Man Behind Champions (Exclusive Interview)

For more than three decades, Gianni Demadonna has been one of the familiar names behind some of the world’s biggest distance-running stars. Before becoming an athlete manager, Demadonna was an elite marathon runner himself, finishing second at the 1987 New York City Marathon. After ending his running career, he founded Demadonna Athletic Promotions in 1990.

Since then, he has worked with some of the biggest names in distance running. Even now, at the age of 72, he remains involved with a select group of elite athletes, including Tamirat Tola and Tigist Assefa. He also follows Yomif Kejelcha closely.

In an exclusive interview, Demadonna spoke about his long career, the success of his athletes, the future of Yomif Kejelcha and why he believes the Ethiopian could go even faster.

Demadonna has spent years managing a large group of elite athletes, but he recently decided it was time to reduce his workload. “Since January 1, 2025, I left 95 percent of my group of athletes to my former assistant Monica Pont and Eric Lilot,” he said.The decision was a personal one. “I’m 72 years old and a little bit tired to run a big company, which demands a lot of work and a lot of stress.” Today, Demadonna says he personally represents around 10 athletes. However, his influence can still be seen through the athletes and management structure he helped build over many years.

He believes the success of his former team and collaborators is the result of years of work. “Those results came after many years of tough work, commitment and having good coaches on the ground in Kenya and Ethiopia,” he said.

For Demadonna, athlete management is about much more than signing contracts or finding races. The real work, he believes, starts on the ground. “The most important job is done in Ethiopia and Kenya to train the athletes,” he explained. “After that, they are developed by the management.”

He pointed to the importance of coaches and people working closely with athletes every day, including Claudio Berardelli in Kenya and Gemedu Dedefo in Ethiopia. According to Demadonna, preparing an athlete for a major marathon requires months of work. “The athletes train for four months to prepare for the London Marathon,” he said.

Behind every major performance, there is a large team. “We have coaches, physiotherapists, Tecar and Indiba machines, minibuses to transport the athletes and follow them during training, and many other situations we have to follow on the ground.” Fans may only see an athlete crossing the finish line, but Demadonna says the work behind that moment is much bigger.

One of the most exciting athletes in Demadonna’s current group is Yomif Kejelcha.The Ethiopian has already shown his ability over different distances. When discussing the future of marathon running, he named Kejelcha as one of the athletes capable of producing something special.”Sawe can run faster, as well as Kejelcha,” he said. More importantly, Demadonna believes that Yomif has the ability to break another major barrier. “To run under 1:59 is possible,” he said. “It’s possible also for Yomif Kejelcha.” Those words now carry even more weight following Kejelcha’s recent record-breaking performance.

For Demadonna, however, talent alone is never enough. “Talent without a total focus and commitment is nothing,” he said. Demadonna says the first thing he looks for in a young athlete is talent.”The first situation is the talent we can see in an athlete,” he said.

“After that, it is the attitude to listen to what the coaches are telling them not only in training, but also about how to manage their life.”For him, the mental side of the sport is just as important as physical ability.

“Mental support and personal guidance are fundamental,” he said. “If an athlete is not intelligent, he can’t achieve top results for a long time.”An athlete, he explained, may perform well for a few races, but maintaining a high level for years requires discipline and the ability to make the right decisions.

This is one reason why Demadonna admires athletes who are fully committed to their profession. Speaking about Kenyan marathon star Sabastian Sawe, he highlighted the athlete’s lifestyle and dedication. “Like Eliud Kipchoge, he stays six days training at the camp and only goes home to see his family on Sunday,” Demadonna said. “Of course, there is the talent he has inside him, but talent without total focus and commitment is nothing.”

Demadonna also spoke about Ethiopian marathon star Tigst Assefa, another athlete who has impressed him with her development.
He believes she has the ability to run even faster under the right conditions. “Tigst, in a race with male pacers, can run under 2:11,” he said. “Maybe she can run faster, but there must be very good male pacers and good weather.”

What has impressed him most, however, is not only her speed but also her ability to understand how to win races. “She understood now how she can manage to win the race,” he said. He pointed to her performance in London as an example. “When she understood she could not leave Obiri and Jepkosgei, she saved energy. In the last 500 metres, she gave them 11 seconds. Amazing finishing!”

For decades, Ethiopia and Kenya have dominated long-distance running. Demadonna believes altitude remains one of the biggest reasons. “The altitude is the most important situation for them,” he said. He also believes history and genetics play a role, with generations of families producing athletes who grow up in an environment closely connected to distance running.”The athletes took the genes from the families and, with training, occupy the marathon world list,” he said.

Despite his excitement about record-breaking performances, Demadonna says athletes cannot expect to chase records in every race.
His goal for the rest of 2026 is simple. “To win the best marathons in the world,” he said. “Records are important, but not in every race can an athlete run a record. We have to maintain our high level in every race.”

That approach could also be important for Yomif Kejelcha as he continues to develop his career. The Ethiopian has already shown that he has the speed and endurance to produce historic performances. But Demadonna knows better than most that a long career is about more than one record.

After decades at the top of athlete management, Gianni Demadonna is now taking a step back. He no longer wants the stress of running a huge company, and most of the athletes he once managed are now under the care of his former collaborators at Lane 2 Sport Agency. But his passion for the sport remains. He is still representing a small group of athletes, still following the development of distance running and still watching closely as a new generation pushes the limits of what is possible. And among those athletes are Yomif Kejelcha, Tigist Assefa and Tamirat Tola.

With Yomif recently breaking another record and continuing to show his remarkable range, Demadonna’s prediction is worth remembering: “To run under 1:59 is possible. It’s possible also for Yomif Kejelcha.” Coming from a man who has spent more than 35 years managing  elite distance runners, it is not just a prediction. Yomif will be expected to run in 46th Valencia Marathon, which will take place on December.