24 October, 2008
Venice Marathon
The Venice Marathon weekend has finally arrived and the hard work of the last 3 months has paid off.
On Wednesday 22 October Yared Hailesilassie Hagos and Bereket Alem Kidanu, two of Running Across Borders’ most promising athletes, stepped onto Ethiopian Airlines flight 700 to begin the 4000 mile journey from Ethiopia to Italy. After a night in Rome and a four hour train journey the next morning with Garrett Ash, a hospitality car was waiting at the station to take them to the Russott Hotel, where Malcolm Anderson had arrived from Edinburgh 2 hours before. The Russott Hotel is where all invited athletes, sports coaches, managers and sponsors reside. This is our base for the next 3 days courtesy of the Venice Marathon Committee.
Like Running Across Borders, the Venice Marathon has a strong social responsibility agenda involving Africa through their innovative ‘Run for Water, Run for Life’ project. In 2006 Venice Marathon and Africa Mission Cooperazione e Sviluppo, a non-profit organisation dedicated to building projects for international cooperation largely in Uganda, was founded. 50,000 Euros has enabled four wells to be built in Uganda with a further three in the past year due to fundraising initiatives of the Venice Marathon. Sport is used in this instance as a tool which has broader social purposes for the benefit of communities thousands of miles away. For Running Across Borders, Venice was an attractive race because we share the social responsibility ethos which Venice expounds so well. To harness the potential of sport, specifically running, for the benefit of a wider population is a challenge which Running Across Borders relishes.
_______________________________________________Preparations for this race began three months ago on the trails and tracks in Addis Ababa. However in the minds of Yared and Bereket it began a much longer time ago than that. Both have each struggled in the face of numerous obstacles however have had a spirit of determination to make the most of what they have, in particular their exceptional running talent. Just months ago Yared was living on just several meals per week, in a corrugated iron shack that he and his friend Gudisa rented for 4 USD/month. Now he is travelling outside of Ethiopia for the first time ever, with the opportunity to succeed on the international athletics stage at the Venice Marathon.
Bereket, likewise, has earned his first ever opportunity to compete in a race the calibre of Venice. He has been running and competing strongly in Ethiopian domestic races since around the age of 14. However, getting into international races has been a struggle. He has trained with unrelenting determination, despite being turned away from many chances to compete internationally. Said the 24-year-old from the Tigrigna region, of the struggle to gain the necessary visas, invitations, and travel funds: “We have been waiting to have this opportunity almost half of our lives. So we won’t be discouraged we will be working harder for the next race.”
Both athletes are eager and ready for competing on the world stage for the first time. While hard work and entry into domestic races in Ethiopia has given them exposure to the competitive nature of long distance running it is international races that are vital for athletes striving for recognition of elite status. The Venice Marathon is certainly a stepping stone towards this goal for Yared and Bereket. Bereket said of the opportunity: “My aim is to run well, become famous, and repay what [Running Across Borders] is doing for us and make the new club prosperous for the future.”
This dream is not imaginary for Yared and Bereket; it has become a reality through their dedication to training and in conjunction with Running Across Borders. Piero Rosa Salva, President: A.S.D Venicemarathon Club has been quoted as saying that in Venice the Marathon is not only a race but an incredible, endless emotion. It has been a journey of incrediable proportions, of sweat and determination for Yared and Bereket– and indeed of emotion – so check back with us after the race and find out how Yared and Bereket have done.
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News
The Venice Marathon is getting bigger year on year. With an expanded Exposport (a 2.150m2 tent hosting more than 50 stands), big named sponsors such as Asics, and this year Oscar Pistorious, the three times Gold Paralympic champion and two times world record holder in 200m and 400m attending, it is not a surprise that the Venice Marathon has managed to draw close to 7,000 participants. The fact that Running Across Borders is present here is a demonstration of the progress made to date in the short time-span of our operations.
EXPANDING ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITIES TO EAST AFRICAN YOUTH THROUGH RUNNING
Running Across Borders
