With just three days remaining to the staging of the 2023 Sofi Malt Great Ethiopian Run International 10km, Great Ethiopian Run has launched a new running app for the race participants, the first ever running app in Ethiopia.
The brainchild of two staff members of Great Ethiopian Run coming out of their experiences of using such apps in international races outside Ethiopia, the app has been developed by Ethio Telecom’s Communications Team working with their in-house app developers.
The app went live for testing on Tuesday 14th November and today is being opened to all participants in the 23rd edition of Ethiopia’s annual running carnival which takes place on Sunday.
Speaking about the innovation, Great Ethiopian Run Operations Director Dagim Teshome said that the idea behind the app is to enthuse participants to make running a part of their lifestyle.
“As well as using the app on Sunday to track their position on the course, they can also download a report to show that they have completed the run and share this with their friends. But we also hope that they will use the app on a more regular basis to record their running time and distance as they continue their training after Sunday’s race.”
The app records distance covered, average running pace and total distance covered.
The running app is one of a number of innovations made by Great Ethiopian Run organisers ahead of Sunday’s international road race. The race will also see a new start gantry with digital screens and a new 20m-long starters’ platform in Meskel Square for waving off the participants.
About the 2023 Sofi Malt Great Ethiopian Run International 10km:
- 45,000 participants have registered for the main 10km race on Sunday. An additional 3,500 children have registered for the 2023 End Polio Now Children’s Races which take place on Saturday 18th November 2023
- The race message is “For Every Child Vaccines” and for the children’s races the message is “End Polio Now”
- The main 10km race is being broadcast live on EBC and will also be livestreamed on EBC’s Facebook page
- 2.3 million birr has so far been raised for the race’s official fundraising campaign “Running For A Cause”
- The total prize purse for the two elite races is 812,000 birr with 200,000 birr (USD $3,575) going to each of the male and female race winners.
- The main race start time is 8.30am with the elite races going off earlier at 8.18am (men) and 8.23am (women)
- The first race winners in 2001 were Haile Gebrselassie and Berhane Adere. The winners of the 22nd edition last year were Abe Gashaw and Tigist Ketema.
The 2023 Sofi Malt Great Ethiopian Run International 10km takes place on Sunday 19th November 2023.
For more information: www.ethiopianrun.org
