Great Ethiopian Run is led by Haile Gebreselassie, who oversees a small team of office staff based in one of Haile's new high-rise office buildings in Addis Ababa.
Chala Dechasa who finished 2nd in last month's 2008 ING Amsterdam Marathon stormed to an impressive victory in the men's race of the 2008 TOYOTA Great Ethiopian Run held yesterday in Addis Ababa. In the women's race defending champion Wude Ayalew repeated her victory to become only the second athlete to record two consecutive wins in the race's eight-year history.
Chala's victory was a further triumph for his coach Getaneh Tessema who has coached each of the past three winners of the men's race. Deriba Merga who won this race in 2006 gave the toughest challenge to Dechasa, leading the race until the 6km point, at which point Dechasa took the lead up the hill past the National palace, eventually dropping Merga in the race's 9th kilometer.
In the women's race Ayalew broke clear just after the 5km point, coming home in a slightly faster time (33:31) than her winning time of last year.
Britain's Mohammed Farah finished 15th in 29:48, one place behind Ayele Abshiro who last Sunday had beaten Kenenisa Bekele over 15km in Holland.
In the Ambassador's Race the Norwegian ambassador Jens-Petter Kjemprud won the race for the 3rd consecutive time clocking in at about 48 minutes ahead of EU ambassador Koon Vervaeke, while the ambassador of Portugal won the Women ambassador's race.