More details for the Great Ethiopian Run!

The race is on Sunday 17 November, but we recommend you arrive in Addis Ababa no later than the morning of Friday 15 November.

Addis is at approximately 2500m above sea level and it takes a few days to acclimatise to the altitude.  After an overnight flight there will be time to freshen up and breakfast, relax in the pool, explore a bit of Addis or visit a cleft program.

There is an early morning training run in Entoto national park on Saturday morning, and a pasta dinner scheduled for that evening with Haile Gebrselassie, then the race is on Sunday morning.  We suggest that we celebrate on Sunday night and either return on the Monday morning flight or the Tuesday 1am flight…    

Flights

Ethiopian airlines fly direct to Addis Ababa daily from Heathrow and Gatwick.  It is approximately an 8-hour flight, and most flights are overnight, 9pm departure from London, 7am arrival in Addis Ababa.  Return flights are also mainly overnight but there is a direct flight to London on Monday morning.

Accommodation

We can offer a discounted package at the Hyatt Hotel in Addis Ababa.  This is a new hotel with lovely facilities including a swimming pool and is only a few hundred metres from the start of the race in Meskel Square, and close to the airport and downtown area of Addis.

The pre-race pasta dinner with Haile Gebrselassie will be held there, and the official race office is in the hotel where you will be able to collect your race t-shirt and registration pack.  In terms of convenience, this is the one! If you would like to explore other hotels, please let me know.

The Race

We have reserved places in the race.  Each entry includes: 

·       Entry fee, 

·       Competitor’s t-shirt, 

·       Training run on Saturday morning in Entoto National park, where Ethiopia’s elite athletes train,

·        Pre-race pasta dinner on the Saturday night before the race with Haile Gebrselassie

·       Finishers medal

Other activities

While you are in Addis Ababa, we will also be running a cleft surgery program.  If you would like to visit the hospital and meet our team and our patients to see our work you are very welcome, but there is no pressure to join.

We can also show you some of the history and culture of Ethiopia or take you shopping.  We will arrange dinners in some of our favourite restaurants and maybe take in some Ethiopian dancing…

Transport

We will have a minibus with English speaking driver available for the whole of your trip. This will cover airport transfers, sightseeing, shopping, meals outside the hotel and visits to our cleft surgical program.

Fundraising

We will use the Enthuse platform to fundraise for Project Harar.  We will help you set up your own fundraising pages and assist you in administering them.

You will need to decide if you wish to pay your own expenses for the trip or ask your sponsors to contribute towards your costs.  This needs to be made explicitly clear on the fundraising page.

Costs will vary according to how many days you wish to stay, which hotel and whether you are flying business or economy, but we estimate that the costs for economy flights, 4 days in a 5*hotel race entry and all meals and transfers will be no more than £2000 per person.  If you are fundraising to include your costs, we ask you to raise a minimum of £3000 before travelling to Addis.

If you are covering your own costs we ask for a donation of £1000 to cover meals and transfers, race entry and administration costs and you will pay your own hotel and flight costs.

Much more detail to come soon, including visa, medical and risk assessment.

If you have any questions please email either Hannah or Jackie.