A Running Legacy225 kilometres south of Ethiopia’s capital city, Addis Ababa, lies Bekoji — a town renowned for producing running stars who have collectively brought home 18 Olympic medals to date. A lockdown decision that consequently disrupted athletic gatherings (among many other things) to be lifted months later in September. Fatiya Abdi, local rack coach, shared her take on the current energy amongst the town’s young runners, "We stopped training after the first coronavirus case. Champions in TrainingAwugchew — who qualified for a national competition in the 400-metre dash, aspires to be Ethiopia's next elite runner. Just like many of her mates who hope to emulate Bekoji’s numerous international running stars — household names like Kenenisa Bekele, Derartu Tulu, Fatuma Roba and Tirunesh Dibaba, and carry on the town's legacy.

Source: Ethiopian News October 02, 2020 15:00 UTC