Gashau Ayale

Gashau Ayale (; born 22 August 1996) is an Israeli long-distance runner. He was born into the Beta Israel ethno-religious community of Ethiopian Jews. Fellow Israeli long-distance runner and Ethiopian Jew Girmaw Amare was born in the same area nine years prior. At two years of age he and his family moved to Gondar, Ethiopia. They initially lived in an absorption center in Safed, Israel, and then later the family moved to Jaffa, Israel.

On November 17, 2018, in the Hasharon 10 km, he ran a 29:23, winning a bronze medal. He said, referring to the Munich massacre, "Fifty years after what happened here, winning a medal and waving the Israeli flag is just so sweet."

On December 10, 2022, in the Tiberias Half Marathon, Ayale ran a 1:02:38 and won a silver medal. A half marathon was run rather than a full marathon because of the proximity of the race to the Paris Olympics marathon. He ran it in a time of 2:11:36 (as Tamirat Tola of Ethiopia won in a time of 2:06:26), and came in 31st.

2025 In March 2025, Ayale became the first Israeli in history to break the 60 minutes barrier in the half marathon distance, setting a new Israeli record at the Lisbon Half Marathon with a time of 59:59.

Personal life Ayale has a younger brother, Yehuda Darba Ayala, who holds Israel's national U23 5000 metres record.

Personal bests 3000 metres – 8:05.64 (Tel Aviv 2020) 5000 metres – 13:47.78 (Tel Aviv 2023) 10,000 metres – 27:49.88 (London 2022) Road 10 kilometres – 29:23 (Hod HaSharon 2018) 20 kilometres – 56:58 (Lisbon 2025) Half marathon – 59:59 (Lisbon 2025) Marathon – 2:04:53 (Seville 2024)