At 9:38 a.m. local time (1:38 a.m. in Michigan), the Run Across Ethiopia departed from Addis Ababa to fanfare, words of rally from organizer Timothy Young, and the brief participation of Ethiopian Olympic gold medal winner Million Wolde (5,000 meters, Sydney 2000) as well as a handful of friends, journalists and onlookers.
Long-distance harriers from all over the world come to the majestic Entoto mountains just outside of Addis Ababa to train at high elevations surrounded by refreshing Eucalyptus forests … and even hairy baboons. The day before the Run Across Ethiopia team set off on a 250-mile, 10-day jog for Yrgachefe, we did a practice run (about 6 miles) at Entoto. Check out the videos below (and kudos to the burly RAE’er Jeffrey Metzler for chasing a team of baboons back into the forest!
On Sunday, Jan. 9, a team of American runners (most with northern Michigan roots) will leave the Ethiopian capital of Addis Ababa on a 250-mile run. For 10 days they’ll jog through the ancient Rift Valley, sleep in highland villages and raise awareness with folks back home about rural poverty and lack of schools. Ten marathons in ten days! On Jan. 20 they’ll arrive in Yirgacheffe, one of the world’s great coffee-growing regions.
In January, a contingent of northern Michiganders will run 250 miles across Ethiopia, from the capital, Addis Ababa, to the Yirgachefe coffee growing region in the southern part of the ancient East African nation, as part of a campaign to generate awareness and raise $100,000 for local education projects, including the construction of much-needed schools in coffee-harvesting communities.