Abebe Bikila's Historic
Barefoot Victory
Since 1960 when a barefoot Abebe Bikila stunned the world by winning the Olympic Marathon, Ethiopian athletes have garnered 43 Olympic medals in track and field, 22 of them gold.
Bikila's victory, the first Olympic gold medal ever won by an African, was complemented 32 years later in Barcelona, when Derartu Tulu became the first African woman to earn gold with her victory in the 10,000 meters.
Athletes such as Bikila, Tulu, Haile Gebrselassie, Tirunesh Dibaba, Kenenisa Belele, and Meseret Defar are a source of great pride for a nation that has faced many challenges and difficulties over the past 50 years.
Tour and Race: 6 Days/6 Nights:
15 October - 21 October
Arrival Date: October 15th
Tour Begins Morning of October 16th
Tour Ends 4:00pm, October 21st
Order may vary depending on group:
2 nights Addis Ababa
1 nights Arsi
3 nights Hawassa (site of Haile Gebrselassie Marathon)
About this tour
Runners share a common bond, and this tour is a great way to make friends, explore a fascinating culture, and be inspired by some of the best athletes in the world.
You will visit the training grounds where numerous Olympic medals have been earned, and meet past, present, and future world champions. You will talk to the coaches who train them and gain insight as to what motivates this extraordinary group of men and women. We will also take an excursion to the Arsi Region, home to so many of Ethiopia's great athletes, and try to discover what makes this region so unique in the world of distance running.