Great Ethiopian Run - Running Tour
‘Discover the ultimate travel destination for runners’
9th - 19th November, 2019
11 days • 10 nights
Introduction
Our running tour is organized in conjunction with our local partners, 'Ethiopia Xperience', and the Great Ethiopian Run in Addis Ababa, the largest running event of Africa. The tour is organized in cooperation with local Ethiopian athletes, which organize training sessions and show you their country. In addition to running with local athletes, you will get the chance to explore Ethiopia's spectacular natural environments and intriguing local cultures.Everybody is welcome on our tour. Our runner-guides will adapt to your level. whether you are an occasional runner or experienced. If you are looking for a physical challenge then you can train at a high level with local athletes and run the race with elite runners. If your partner is more interested in traveling than running then we can organize alternative activities and excursions. Each day will begin with optional yoga and stretching sessions before breakfast.
Friday 9th November:
You arrive in Addis Ababa, the Capital of Ethiopia. We will welcome you at the airport and take you to the Orange Lion Guesthouse, our comfortable base in the city. If there is time we will show you some of the city.
Accommodation: Orange Lion Guesthouse
Meals: - none
Saturday 10th November:
You'll start the day with a training session with our Ethiopian running buddies. They are professional and semi professional athletes who will introduce to the lively Ethiopian running culture. Just behind the guesthouse there is a forest that is used by many Ethiopian athletes as a training circuit. Don’t be surprised if you come across an Olympic Champion!
After breakfast we will visit the facility of Dires for Development, our local partner organization. Dires is an NGO that organizes social programs for people who have a disability, especially focused on children. Yopu will be welcomed with a traditional coffee ceremony and learn about their activities.
The rest of the day we will explore Addis Ababa. We visit several sites of interest, including the National Museum where you will meet Lucy, humanity’s common ancestor. On the way we'll eat the best fruit smoothie of the city and we end the day with a visit to Entoto Mountain, from where you can enjoy a spectacular view over the city. Our runner/guides will lead you in a light running practice.
Accommodation: Orange Lion Guesthouse
Meals: Breakfast and lunch
Saturday 10th November:
You'll start the day with a training session with our Ethiopian running buddies. They are professional and semi professional athletes who will introduce to the lively Ethiopian running culture. Just behind the guesthouse there is a forest that is used by many Ethiopian athletes as a training circuit. Don’t be surprised if you come across an Olympic Champion!
After breakfast we will visit the facility of Dires for Development, our local partner organization. Dires is an NGO that organizes social programs for people who have a disability, especially focused on children. Yopu will be welcomed with a traditional coffee ceremony and learn about their activities.The rest of the day we will explore Addis Ababa. We visit several sites of interest, including the National Museum where you will meet Lucy, humanity’s common ancestor. On the way we'll eat the best fruit smoothie of the city and we end the day with a visit to Entoto Mountain, from where you can enjoy a spectacular view over the city. Our runner/guides will lead you in a light running practice.
Accommodation: Orange Lion Guesthouse
Meals: Breakfast and lunch
Sunday 11th November:
In the morning we go to the town of Sululta, just outside Addis Ababa. It is a well-known training center for many local and international athletes, the circumstances for running are perfect here. Our runner-guides will lead a running practice, and don’t be surprised if you bump into an Olympic champion! They often train here. We take a shower and have breakfast in a local resort and then we head back to Addis Ababa. There we continue with our exploration of the city.
A lunch is provided and in the afternoon our runner guides will lead you in a whole other kind of physical exercise: an Ethiopian dancing workshop! In the evening you can dine and relax in our guesthouse.
Accommodation: Orange Lion Guesthouse
Meals: Breakfast and Dinner
In the morning we go to the town of Sululta, just outside Addis Ababa. It is a well-known training center for many local and international athletes, the circumstances for running are perfect here. Our runner-guides will lead a running practice, and don’t be surprised if you bump into an Olympic champion! They often train here. We take a shower and have breakfast in a local resort and then we head back to Addis Ababa. There we continue with our exploration of the city.
A lunch is provided and in the afternoon our runner guides will lead you in a whole other kind of physical exercise: an Ethiopian dancing workshop! In the evening you can dine and relax in our guesthouse.Accommodation: Orange Lion Guesthouse
Meals: Breakfast and Dinner
Monday 12th November:
If you want you can participate in a running practice in the morning with our runner-guides. After breakfast we will visit a local school where our parner NGO carries out a sports project: sports teachers who have a disability give sports lessons to children with a disability. We have been carrying out this project for more than 10 years and it has been life changing for many Ethiopian children with a disability. Right after that we leave the city and drive south towards the Southern Ethiopian highlands, a region where many Ethiopian runners are from. We have lunch in Asella, the birthplace of the famous Ethiopian runner Haile Gebrselassie. Then we continue further south to the town of Bekoji, also known as the ‘Town of Runners’. Many Ehtiopian champions are from this village!
On arrival we go by local taxi to a training center in the village, the next generation of Ethiopian running talent lives and trains here. We meet coach Sinteyahu, a famous coach who has trained many generations of Ethiopian athletes. He is already retired but is still involved with the youth of Bekoji and coaches them every day. We spend the night in a simple but proper guesthouse in the village, do not expect any luxury, but it is safe and clean. We eat together in a local restaurant.
Accommodation: Bekoji Guesthouse
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Tuesday 13th November:
In the morning we participate in a running practice with the youth of Bekoji. With our runner-guides, and led by coaches of Bekoji, we are part of an intensive training in the forest. It will be a physical challenge, but also a beautiful experience. After breakfast there is time to see more of Bekoji.
We visit young runners at their homes, most of them live together in small sheds far away from their families. They will share their dreams and ambitions with us. After lunch we leave Bekoji and drive further south to the Bale Mountains, one of the spectacular mountain ranges of Ethiopia. On the way we enjoy the beautiful scenery and we make a short walk in a forest. We spend the night a simple but decent hotel on the foot of the mountains.
Accommodation: Goba Wabe Shebele hotel
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Wednesday 14th November:
We spend a full day in the Bale Mountains. This National Park is is concentrated around a big mountain plateau that is located on more than 4000 meters altitude. The nature has adapted to the high altitude with strange vegetation as result. The area looks like a moon landscape! The valleys however are covered with dense rainforest and is teamed with life. This is also the habitat of the Ethiopian Wolf, a very rare canine, but chances are good we will see them. We bring lunchboxes and spend a full day in the mountains. In the evening we dine in the restaurant of the hotel.
Accommodation: Goba Wabe Shebele hotel
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
If you want you can participate in a running practice in the morning with our runner-guides. After breakfast we will visit a local school where our parner NGO carries out a sports project: sports teachers who have a disability give sports lessons to children with a disability. We have been carrying out this project for more than 10 years and it has been life changing for many Ethiopian children with a disability. Right after that we leave the city and drive south towards the Southern Ethiopian highlands, a region where many Ethiopian runners are from. We have lunch in Asella, the birthplace of the famous Ethiopian runner Haile Gebrselassie. Then we continue further south to the town of Bekoji, also known as the ‘Town of Runners’. Many Ehtiopian champions are from this village!On arrival we go by local taxi to a training center in the village, the next generation of Ethiopian running talent lives and trains here. We meet coach Sinteyahu, a famous coach who has trained many generations of Ethiopian athletes. He is already retired but is still involved with the youth of Bekoji and coaches them every day. We spend the night in a simple but proper guesthouse in the village, do not expect any luxury, but it is safe and clean. We eat together in a local restaurant.
Accommodation: Bekoji Guesthouse
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Tuesday 13th November:
In the morning we participate in a running practice with the youth of Bekoji. With our runner-guides, and led by coaches of Bekoji, we are part of an intensive training in the forest. It will be a physical challenge, but also a beautiful experience. After breakfast there is time to see more of Bekoji. We visit young runners at their homes, most of them live together in small sheds far away from their families. They will share their dreams and ambitions with us. After lunch we leave Bekoji and drive further south to the Bale Mountains, one of the spectacular mountain ranges of Ethiopia. On the way we enjoy the beautiful scenery and we make a short walk in a forest. We spend the night a simple but decent hotel on the foot of the mountains.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Wednesday 14th November:
We spend a full day in the Bale Mountains. This National Park is is concentrated around a big mountain plateau that is located on more than 4000 meters altitude. The nature has adapted to the high altitude with strange vegetation as result. The area looks like a moon landscape! The valleys however are covered with dense rainforest and is teamed with life. This is also the habitat of the Ethiopian Wolf, a very rare canine, but chances are good we will see them. We bring lunchboxes and spend a full day in the mountains. In the evening we dine in the restaurant of the hotel.Accommodation: Goba Wabe Shebele hotel
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Thursday 15th November:
We leave the Bale Mountains and drive towards Lake Hawassa, one of the great lakes of Ethiopia’s Rift Valley. On the way we make a stop in Shashamane, a town mainly known for its Rastafari community. Rastafari is a spiritual movement that considers the former Emperor of Ethiopia, Haile Selassie I, as a dive being. Rastafari became known in the world through mainly Reggae Music and especially Bob Marley. Local Rastas will prepare a vegan lunch for us (most Rastas don’t eat animal products) and a local musician will come to perform for us. In the afternoon we continue to Hawassa where we stay in a luxury resort with a swimming pool and views over the lake. You can relax and dine at the resort.
Accommodation: Lewi Resort
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Friday 16th November:
In the late afternoon our runner-guides will lead a running practice at the shores of the lake. Surrounded by monkeys and tropical birds you can prepare yourself for the Great Ethiopian Run!
In the morning we explore the lively fish market of Hawassa and we make a boat ride looking for hippos and other animals. There is an 80 % chance we see hippos from close by. The rest of the day there is no program, you'll be on your own for lunch and can spend the afternoon relaxing or exploring.
Accommodation: Lewi Resort
Meals: Breakfast and Dinner
Accommodation: Lewi Resort
Meals: Breakfast and Dinner
Saturday 17th November:
We drive back in Addis Ababa where we arrive in the afternoon. There is time to relax or for example do some souvenir shopping. In the evening we go to Haile Gebrselassie’s Pasta Party, a gathering for international participants of the Great Ethiopian Run. Those who want can explore the nightlife of Addis Ababa a bit, but not too much, we have to get up early the next day for the Great Ethiopian Run.
Accommodation: Orange Lion Guesthouse
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Sunday 18th November:
Early in the morning we provide a light breakfast and then we head to the start/finish line of the Great Ethiopian Run. Probably more than 43 thousand people will participate this year. It is the biggest road race of Africa, that runs straight through the heart of the capital city Addis Ababa. For most participants, it is not only a sports event, but also a celebration of national pride and joy. It is a festive event with music and cultural acts along the way. Those who want to run fast can start in the fast lane. If you wan to run with official time registration we can register you with the elite runners. But you have to be able to complete 10 kilometers in 43 minutes. After the run we bring you back to our guesthouse where a lunch is provided. The rest of the day you are free to relax or explore the city further. Our cars and guides are available to assist you.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Monday 19th November:
Today the running tour comes to an end. We can bring you tot the airport where you check in for the flight back home, or you can choose to stay longer in Ethioipa to see more of the country. Contact us for the possibilities.
Meals: Breakfast
