Prelude to the Run Across Ethiopia

By Jacob Wheeler
Sun editor

Most of the northern Michigan-based Run Across Ethiopia crew arrived in Addis Ababa late on Thursday night, Jan. 6, in preparation for their departure southward on Sunday, Jan. 9. Here are a few videos of the excited group’s arrival and what they did during days of preparation before running 250 miles over 10 days to the Yirgacheffe coffee-growing region.

Hans Voss, Chris Girrbach and the rest of the crew are psyched to arrive in Addis Ababa airport on Thursday, Jan. 6, and begin running across Ethiopia on Sunday.

Traditional Ethiopian dancers perform at Yod Abyssinia restaurant on Friday night.

RAE team members Jeffrey Metzler and James Weston find their inner Ethiopian souls while dancing on stage at Yod Abyssinia.

Before the Amsterdam-Addis Ababa flight on Thursday night, RAE musicians Seth Bernard and Daisy Mae reflect on what kind of music they expect to find in Ethiopia.

The Run Across Ethiopia team meets their Ethiopian counterparts from TESFA for the first time, and give them shoes they have brought from the United States.