Haile Gebreselassie urges other athletes to join Great Ethiopian Run

Legendary distance runner Haile Gebreselassie urged the world's top athletes on Wednesday to join Africa’s largest ever road race, the 10-kilometre Great Ethiopian Run, which is to be held on 30 November. “The race has become a tradition now,” the two-time Olympic and four-time World 10,000m champion said at the official launch of the 2003 competition in Addis Ababa. “At the time of another terrible drought in Ethiopia, I don’t need to tell you how important this kind of event is for our country. "We must stand up and show the outside world that Ethiopia is not just a country of poverty and problems,” the 30-year-old Gebreselassie said. The race through the heart of the capital Addis Ababa, which is now in its third year, raises funds for charity. Some US$72,000 has been raised through donations in the past two years. The organisers expect about 18,000 athletes to take part. Richard Nerurkar, the race coordinator, said they were hoping to turn the annual event into a race to rival both the London and New York marathons. The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) is backing the race, which it is using to raise awareness of HIV/AIDS. It is also sponsoring 2,000 children from across Ethiopia to join some of the world’s top athletes in the event. Bjorn Ljungqvist, who heads UNICEF Ethiopia, said: “Athletes are the rock stars of Ethiopia and are much more effective in educating other youths in HIV/AIDS prevention. Only by actively involving the youth of this country can we make a difference in lowering transmission rates among our youth.” Haile, who holds the record for the road race, also acknowledged that his fellow countryman and rising young star Kenenisa Bekele had now stolen his crown. “This man is fantastic,” said Haile, who has 17 world records and an eight-year unbeaten record in the 10,000m that lasted until 2001. “I am trying to make sure I am not far from him when we are running,” the modest star added. “He is already the new Haile. Sport is like this. You cannot succeed forever. You can succeed when you are young but it is more difficult when you are older.” Kenenisa, who is likely to take part in the road race, narrowly beat Haile to first place in the World Championships held in Paris, France last month. Haile also stated that he was hoping to take things “a little easier” but said he was keen to run in the 2004 Olympics to be held in Athens. But he is also proving to be a success off the running track and an accomplished businessman in the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa, where he owns two office blocks, a popular café, a restaurant, a fitness centre and a cinema. He also owns a kindergarten in northern Ethiopia and an office block and petrol station in his hometown in Arsi, eastern Ethiopia. His first biography is to be released just before the start of the 28th summer games in Greece.