Competitions
EXPANDING ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITIES TO EAST AFRICAN YOUTH THROUGH RUNNING
Running Across Borders
Ethiopian Domestic Race Schedule for 2009/2010 (Ethiopian Year 2002)
October
18: 12km Road Race:--Addis Ababa
November
1: 30km Road Race--Nazret
15: Sendafa Cross-country
22: Great Ethiopian Run--Addis Ababa
29: Asella Cross-country
December:
13: Bahir Dar Cross-country
20: Ethiopian Hill Road Race--Addis Ababa
January:
15: Short and middle distance track--Addis Ababa
24: Sulutaa Cross-Country
31: Cross-Country Inter-region Championship--Asella
February:
14: M. General Hyolom Arya 15km--Mekele
21: Jan Meda International Cross-Country--Addis Ababa
March:
22: Athletics Inter-region Championship
April:
28: 39th Annual Ethiopian Athletics Championships
June:
13: Abebe Bikila Marathon
27: Marathon Relay Race
July:
15: Junior and Youth Athletics Championship
August:
15: Ethiopian Half-Marathon Championships
Kenyan Domestic Races 2009/2010
October
2: Kebirigo 10km Road Race;Kebirigo/Kissi
4: Eldoret 10km Road Race (Family Bank); Eldoret
10: Dessert Run 10km Road Race; Garissa
12: 2nd Tom O’Omuombo Memorial 15km Road Race; Siaya
17: Madoka Half marathon; Taita
25: 7th Standard Chartered Nairobi International Marathon
November
14: Tegla loroupe 10km Peace Road Race; Kapenguria
Nyeri Half Marathon; Nyeri
December
6: The Great Lake National Marathon; Kisumu
19: Shoe for Africa 10km Road Race; Iten
International Developmental Half-Marathons
*Standards are generally 62-64 minutes for men, 70-73 minutes for women*
8 February; Verona Half-Marathon; Verona, Italy
1 March; Piacenza Half-Marathon; Piacenza, Italy
15 March; Bath Half-Marathon; Bath, UK
29 March; Reading Half-Marathon; Reading, UK
6 September; Great Scottish Run Half-Marathon; Glasgow, UK
21 September; Monza Half-Marathon; Monza, Italy
19 October; Cremona Half-Marathon; Cremona, Italy
26 November; Garda Trentino Half-Marathon; Trentino, Italy
International Developmental Marathons
*Standards are generally 2:16-2:22 for men, 2:38-2:45 for women*
3 May; Belfast Marathon; Belfast, Ireland
17 May; The Night Run Marathon; Luxembourg
31 May 2009; Edinburgh Marathon; Scotland
4 October; Loch Ness Marathon; Inverness, UK
November; Lake Kawaguchi Marathon, Japan
International Elite Marathons
*Standards are generally 2:10-2:14 for men, 2:27-2:34 for women*
1 March; Barcelona Marathon; Barcelona, Spain
22 March; Rome Marathon; Rome, Italy
5 April; Paris Marathon; France
26 April; Zurich Marathon; Zurich, Switzerland
29 November; Florence Marathon; Florence, Italy
December; Singapore International Marathon; Singapore
Why do our athletes race internationally?
All of our athletes compete domestically. However, the best of them are at a point in where local competitions place limitations on their ability to progress. In particular, the following benefits are gained from competing internationally rather than domestically:
Certifiability
With the exception of the Great Ethiopian run, competitions in Ethiopia are not certified by AIMS or IAAF. Consequently, a great competitive performance in Ethiopia is difficult to compare against international standards, because there is no guarantee that the course was accurately measured and unassisted by wind or net downhill changes in elevation.
Visibility
Again with the exception of the GER, archived results of races in Ethiopia are not publicized online, on race websites, archived databases, or otherwise, with the same visability and accessibility as those of races in developed countries.
Altitude
The vast majority of races in Ethiopia are contested in Addis Ababa, at 2500m (8,000 ft) above sea level. It would be virtually impossible for anyone, let alone a young star trying to develop, to produce a time at such an altitude that could be compared with ones from international events, the vast majority of which are contested at sea level. Even races outside of Addis Ababa are at a minimum elevation of 1500m (5,000 ft).
Competition
Despite the amazingly strong competition that can be found in Ethiopia and Kenya, to become an international star an athlete must be able to travel and compete against athletes from all over the world. Therefore, we arrange for our most talented athletes to compete in overseas races.
Besides these concerns regarding athlete development, overseas events offer a great opportunity for cultural exchange between our athletes and people from the country that they are visiting.
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We take care not to over-race our athletes. We focus them on one or two strong marathon performances per year, with half-marathon, 10km and cross-country races providing adequate preparation in the intervening period between marathon races. We send athletes abroad to compete specifically for their development as runners. If an athlete does not meet our expectations in a particular race or a particular season, we re-adjust those expectations and schedule for the next year accordingly. While our aim is to develop athletes into world class competitors we recognize this will not happen in every case. For those individuals we will never deny them the chance to renew their contract with us, however, it may mean them working within other areas of our activities.
Our criteria for scheduling races is as follows:
- are already recognized as international-level races
- are contested at sea level
- offer cash prizes and/or travel assistance for elite athletes.
The races below will offer competitive recognition to East African athletes, produce the fastest race times possible and be self-financing in terms of the travel costs involved. We will be adding to this schedule however if you would like to be involved in the arrangement of one of our future racing trips, please notify us.
In agreement and cooperation with the Ethiopian Athletics Federation (EAF) and Athletics Kenya we arrange for East African runners to travel to Europe and compete in races.
Why do our athletes race domestically?
The most gifted and developed of our athletes need chances to compete internationally. But all of our athletes need chances to compete in their home countries, for several reasons.
First of all, athletes not yet at the point where they can contend with the best in the world still need to compete regularly. They need to monitor individual improvement, evaluate training habits and regimes, give focus and direction to their pursuit of running, and, perhaps most importantly, gain motivation. Domestic competitions in Ethiopia and Kenya provide for these important needs.
Secondly, even the athletes who are competing internationally still want the chance to establish rank and status within their home countries. They also need some chances to compete without having to invest time and money resources in travel to a major event.
Finally, domestic competitions do not just benefit the athletes who run in them. Indeed, in countries like Ethiopia and Kenya, where huge crowds assemble in the centers of cities to watch international long-distance races on large-screen televisions, local races are similarly powerful at boosting the morale of communities. Spectators of all ages are filled with pride and inspiration when they see their countrymen take to the roads, country, or track, and do what they do better than people anywhere else in the world. In communities where people often find themselves lacking hope, watching athletes can remind them that anything is possible when they exhibit dedication and commitment.
Most of the domestic races are organized and run by the Ethiopian Athletics Federation (EAF) and Athletics Kenya (AK)
