Great Ethiopian Run

Plaque name: Great Ethiopian Run

Location: National Museum of Ethiopia, King George VI St, Addis Ababa 8412, Ethiopia

Plaque awarded: 20/11/2025

Reason: Plaque Category – Competition

The Great Ethiopian Run 10km road race, which was founded by Haile Gebrselassie after he returned from his second Olympic 10,000m title, is one of the great African sporting success stories.

Over two and half decades, the race organisation has staged more than 200 running events across Ethiopia. These runs, along with the annual headline 10km, have unquestionably contributed to the growth of athletics in the country and have helped to develop young athletes, while promoting important social campaigns such as girls’ education and healthy ageing.

Some of the greatest names in Ethiopian distance running have won the Great Ethiopian Run but because of Addis Ababa's 2355m altitude, which prevents the fastest times, the organisers have from the beginning focused mainly on mass participation.

The Great Ethiopian Run transformed running into an everyday lifestyle, uniting people through health, celebration and national pride.

As Gebrselassie said: "Running is part of human life. I think many Ethiopians have taken running as a culture."