Over 43,000 participants joined the 24th edition of Ethiopia’s annual international 10km road race, setting a new record by surpassing last year’s total by nearly 5,000 runners.
The event, held over the weekend at Meskel Square in Addis Ababa, was attended by legendary distance runners, including race founder and two-time Olympic gold medalist Haile Gebrselassie.
Gebrselassie shared his vision for the event’s future, emphasizing the importance of attracting elite athletes while maintaining the race’s quality and atmosphere.
“Beyond the numbers, our focus is on elite athletes. We aim to invite big names from across the world while preserving the race’s exceptional spirit and quality,” he stated.
For the first time, the Sofi Malt Great Ethiopian Run International 10km earned World Athletics Label status, enhancing its global prestige. Among the attendees was Kenya’s world marathon record holder, Ruth Chepngetich, who visited Ethiopia for the first time.
“It was incredible to experience the crowd and the atmosphere from a different perspective. The energy was amazing,” Chepngetich remarked with enthusiasm.
The women’s race saw Ethiopia’s Asayech Aychew living up to her favorite status, claiming victory with a time of 32 minutes and 13 seconds. In the men’s category, defending champion Biniam Mehari successfully retained his title, improving his time to finish at 28 minutes and 25 seconds.
Both winners received cash prizes of 250,000 Ethiopian birr (approximately $2,000), from a total prize pool of 1.3 million birr.
Women’s Race
- Asayech Aychew – 32:13.4
- Yenewa Nibret – 32:16.9
- Bosena Mulate – 32:27.4
- Chaltu Dida – 32:27.4
- Guteni Shanko – 32:34.7
Men’s Race
- Biniam Mehari – 28:25.7
- Addisu Negash – 28:26.2
- Yismaw Dilu – 28:29.2
- Nibret Kinde – 28:33.4
- Getachew Masresha – 28:43.9
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