Uganda goes for gold in Great Ethiopian Run
National atheletes fully sponsored by Tuku Afrika pictured at their offices on Metropole House being flagged off to Ethiopia for the Great Ethiopian Run due on 18 November 2018 organised by Haile Gebreselassie. Photo by Ismail Kezaala
KAMPALA. Uganda's four-man team in Sunday's Great Ethiopian Run want to prove dominance and show that the recent surge in distance running is not by mere chance.
Although the team is composed of junior athletes, Olympic gold medallist Stephen Kiprotich, who travelled as the team captain (to flag off the run), said the members on the team want to do something big for their country.
"Every youth athlete wants to replicate me and they are hungry to attain any success," Kiprotich said.
Risper Chebet, who won gold in September’s World Mountain Running Championships in Andorra carries a dream to upset the home runners. Her partner, Esther Yeko Chekwemoi, who had a successful race at the Youth Olympic Games in Buenos Aires, Argentina last month, is too determined to win.
The men's team will be represented by Leonard Chemonges and youngster Joel Kiplagat.
Sunday's race coincides with the emergency meeting called by the African Union (AU). This caused the change of the route course for the 10km run inaugurated in 2001 by the legendary Haile Gebreselassie.
Since the run's inception in 2001, only Ethiopian runners have been declared winners. How Uganda wins the gold against all odds will be a moment to savour for the youngsters eying the 2020 Olympics.
Organisers expect 500 international participants from 26 countries out of a total number of 47,500 runners.
