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A2 ElementarySportAfrica

Abebe Bikila: He Ran a Marathon Without Shoes… and Won Olympic Gold

In Rome in 1960, Abebe Bikila's new shoes did not fit. So he ran the Olympic marathon without shoes, and he crossed the finish line first. Learn five A2 words and how to use without + noun with the true story of Abebe Bikila.

27 December 2026· 4:02 video· 8 words · 7 questions

Coming 27 December 2026, 3:00 pm New York time

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Transcript

Tap a time to jump to that moment. Highlighted words have a meaning: tap them. Words in bold show today's grammar.

Step 3

Words from the story

Say the word, guess its meaning, then flip the card. Keep the ones you know, and practise the rest again.

0/ 8
words learned
1 / 8

Grammar in the story

without + noun

We use it for: to say that someone does not have something

  • He ran without shoes.
  • He ran through Rome without shoes.

From the story

  • He ran without shoes.
  • I drink coffee without sugar.

Find it in the story 5 times

Your turn

  1. He ran   shoes.

  2. I drink tea without  .

  3. She left home without her  .

Step 4

Story Challenge

7 quick rounds: choose, fill the gap, build the sentence and match the words. Answer in a row to build a streak and earn bonus points.

  • 7 questions
  • About 3 minutes

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Take it further

Before you watch: Have you ever walked or run barefoot? Where?

After you watch: Write three sentences with without. For example: I drink coffee without sugar. I can’t live without music. She left home without her keys.

Think about it: Abebe did not have the right shoes, but he still won. What helps people do great things when they don’t have perfect things?

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