International Participants Hawassa Half Marathon

Days
Hours
Minutes
Seconds

HAWASSA HALF-MARATHON

RUNNING BY THE LAKESHORES OF HAWASSA!

The 11th edition of the Hawassa Half Marathon will take place on Sunday 12th of February 2023. The event includes a Half-marathon, 8km race and Children’s race. Both 8km and children’s race start and finish will be in front of St. Gebriel Church (Smuda Monument) at the center of Hawassa.
Take a break from your busy life and unwind in Hawassa!

Running is the purest act of humanity, and Hawassa Half-Marathon is an opportunity to discover that feeling all over again—in a completely new way!

HOW TO REGISTER

To register as an individual for the Hawassa Half-Marathon race, please click on the link below.
You will be taken to our registration partner site.
Cost of entry: £70 includes race t-shirt and entry to the pre-race pasta party

EXPLORE ETHIOPIA’S RUNNING CULTURE

Would you like to experience more of Ethiopia’s running culture?
We can take you to the forests above Addis where all of Ethiopia’s world-class runners train.
We’ll take you to their training sessions where you will get to meet some of Ethiopia’s famous runners.
We can also arrange a stay at Yaya Athletics Village in the hills above Addis Ababa,
a perfect place for training where you can meet lots of local runners.
If time allows, we also recommend a visit to the Arsi region 200km southeast of Addis Ababa
from where many of Ethiopia’s champion athletes originate.
Play Video

Go Green 2022-23 Plan

ACTION 1: WE WILL MINIMISE CARBON EMISSIONS 

We are promoting “3km of walking per day” to get us all to think more about walking in place of making short car journeys.

We encourage participants living in close proximity (3km radius) to race venue to walk to and back from race venue on race day.

We are also encouraging our participants to use public transport and shared car transport for arriving at and returning from the race. 

We will deploy electric cars to lead the elite race.

ACTION 2: WE WILL RECYCLE WHEREVER POSSIBLE 

As in the past year’s race, we have used recyclable (eco-friendly) materials in the production of our race t-shirts & goody bags. We have continued our partnership with PETCO to collect and recycle all plastic bottles and other rubbish consumed and produced on race day.

ACTION 3: WE WILL ENCOURAGE DISPOSAL OF RUBBISH 

Rubbish bins will be placed along the race course every 250m.

We’ll also put more portable toilets on race course

ACTION 4: WE WILL USE LESS PLASTIC 

This year we are using a lighter water bottle for participants to make it easier for recycling. Our goody bag is also made of a non-plastic material which can be reused for shopping by participants.

ACTION 5: WE WILL USE LESS PAPER 

We no longer use paper for registering participants. All registration has been done electronically.

Participants also receive their race magazine electronically in place of printed magazines.

We use more e-posters, e-fliers, e-invites

Re-use scrap papers for internal communication purposes

We put a disclaimer: “think about the environment before you print this email” on all our electronic communications as a reminder to our stakeholders.

ACTION 6: WE WILL WORK TO CREATE AWARENESS ABOUT ENVIRONMENT 

Putting Go Green logo on every promotional materials

Scheduled (weekly/monthly) posts on social media about environment and GER’s Go Green 5 strands

Run social media campaigns to Teach/Train/Encourage people not to throw rubbish in their day to day activities

We invite all our participants and stakeholders to join us in this campaign and to contribute positively to the sustainability of our environment. 

 
For 2022 Sofi Malt Great Ethiopian Run International 10km Result click here. 

Half-Marathon tips by Richard Nerurkar

WHY DO IT?

For my first few years of being a runner, I was just happy to be doing it – to lose weight, to feel fit and to be out exercising with my friends. Now I need a new and bigger goal.

TRAINING FOR A HALF MARATHON

The key to finishing a half-marathon is doing a weekly long run during your build-up. And the sooner you start your build-up, the easier this will feel. You just add a bit more distance as each week goes by. So start training now!

THE EXPERIENCE OF RUNNING A HALF-MARATHON

I like to break the half-marathon distance into three parts. I take the first third really easy and try to enjoy it. In the middle third I concentrate really hard, to keep going at my set pace, maybe by running alongside somebody else and always staying relaxed. Then in the last third I am just thinking of the finish line!

COMPLETING A HALF MARATHON IS ACHIEVABLE

Half marathons are way more achievable – and more enjoyable – than marathons. Still a long way, but with far less pain, and with the satisfaction at the end of having achieved something that many other people would never dream of doing.

ACHIEVING A GOAL

The highs and lows of training for a race – whatever the distance – are all about setting a goal and doing what you need to do to achieve that goal.

How much does the entry fee cost?

The entry fee for international participants for the 10km race is £70. This fee includes a race t-shirt and entry to the pre-race pasta party which will take place at the Hyatt Regency Addis Ababa on the Saturday evening immediately before the race. The entry fee for international participants for the Hawassa half-marathon is £70 which also includes a race t-shirt and entry to the pre-race pasta party. 

What is the easiest way of flying to Ethiopia?

We recommend Ethiopian Airlines – by far the quickest and easiest way of flying to Ethiopia. By using Ethiopian Airlines for your international flights you also get discounts on internal flights. 

Do I need a visa for Ethiopia?

Most international visitors do need a visa to enter Ethiopia and many foreign visitors can apply for an e-visa before travelling to Ethiopia. Check if you need a visa on the Ethiopian Embassy website  

How do I obtain local currency?  

Ethiopian birr is not available outside Ethiopia. You can get birr from local banks (also situated inside the international terminal building at Addis Ababa International Airport) and at ATMs.  

Do most people speak English?  

Amharic is the most commonly spoken language in Ethiopia. English is spoken in most hotels and restaurants in Addis Ababa and in most hotels and restaurants used by foreigners throughout the country.  

How can I get a photo of Haile Gebrselassie?  

Your best chance of doing this will be at the pre-race pasta party, entry for which is included in the race entry for international participants for both the 10km and 21km races.  

What COVID-19 precautions will be in place for the event?

A number of precautionary measures will be in place at the 10km road race to guard against the spread of the COVID-19 virus. These will include: temperature checks as participants arrive at the start; availability of hand sanitisers at multiple locations around the start and finish; and a requirement for participants to wear masks in all assembly areas at the start until the point at which they start the run and after they finish the run. We are also developing a system for a wave system for the start which will enable participants to take part in the run with a degree of distancing. Although we have used wave starts in the past, for this race we will employ multiple waves with no more than 1,000 participants in each wave. Medals will be given to all finishers. We are finalising details of how medals will be given to participants. More details will be given shortly.