Early in her career she won team medals with Kenya at the IAAF World Cross Country Championships – her best individual finishes were fifth in 2002 and fourth in 2003.

She made her senior debut the following year at the 2001 IAAF World Cross Country Championships, coming 23rd in the long race and helping Ethiopia to the team silver medal.

[3] At the 2003 IAAF World Cross Country Championships she had her highest placing, coming fourth and taking the team title with medalists Werknesh Kidane and Merima Denboba.

[4] In spite of a poor showing at the 2004 World Cross Country,[2] she won her first major title at the 2004 African Championships in Athletics, defeating all comers to take the 10,000 m gold medal.

This also translated to success on the roads: she came sixth at the 2004 IAAF World Half Marathon Championships and led a team of Bezunesh Bekele and Teyba Erkesso to the gold medal.