Day 7 of Run Across Ethiopia: Back at full strength
With four consecutive 30-mile days in the rearview mirror, and the distance between Addis Ababa and Yirgachefe now 67 percent complete, the Run Across Ethiopia harriers took it relatively easy today. They slept in (until 7 a.m.) and enjoyed a restaurant sit-down breakfast, before legging 15 miles (24 kilometers) through hilly but beautiful, jungle-like terrain south of Hawassa. This journalist’s left knee felt recovered enough to join the team for seven miles. Tonight and tomorrow night we’ll stay in the gorgeous Agadash lodge, which overlooks miles of lush green foliage, and where we can literally feed wild hyenas (there’s so much food in this valley that the animals won’t hurt humans).
Best of all, the team is once again at full strength. Hans Voss’ ankle issues are seemingly a thing of the past; Mary Moore returned to the trail today after a half-day breather on Day 6; and Dena Piecuch, the police officer from Charleston, South Carolina, was back on the beat after a couple days of rest.
Here are videos from Day 7, including a scene from Lake Nagano where we stayed last night, and footage from Seth Bernard and Daisy Mae’s concert Friday night in Hawassa:
Dena rejoins the Run Across Ethiopia on Day 7 and offers words of encouragement before the harriers set off on a moderate 15-mile jog. She also asks the team to run this one for our nurse Mamoosh’s sister who was hospitalized yesterday.
Run Across Ethiopia harrier Matt Desmond — a proud Irish-American and Notre Dame graduate — fires up the local kids by playing off the word “negus”, which means “king” in Amharic, and is also the name of a new Notre Dame football recruit.
After completing four consecutive 30-mile distances, the Run Across Ethiopia harriers hung out on the banks of Lake Nagano yesterday evening.
Musicians Seth Bernard and Mae Erlewine perform in Hawassa following Day 6 of the Run Across Ethiopia
Chris Treter analyzes Day 7 of the Run Across Ethiopia, the difficulty of the hilly terrain, but how glad he is that family, friends and our artistic support crew have rejoined the team.
Local village kids tag along on Day 7.
