News & Releases >> September 12 2007
NEWS Sep 12 2007
Ethiopian athletes doing some of their final training for Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon on the forest trails at Sululta outside Addis; what drives them?
TORONTO. September 12th, 2007. Wherever you go in the world to international athletics competitions and major marathons, you see them: happy, cheering, flag-waving crowds of Ethiopians, emigrants from one of the world's poorest countries, cheering on their heroes who are often on top of the world in distance running.
This year, on September 28th to 30th weekend, the show is coming to Canada and the Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon. Toronto Waterfront '07 will enjoy a major Ethiopian presence for the first time, and the occasion fits perfectly with the huge Ethiopian millennium celebrations going on in Addis Ababa and around the world. The arrival of the Ethiopian champions at Waterfront marathon is only fitting, with 45,000 to 50,000 people of Ethiopian origin in the Greater Toronto Area, and an active Ethiopian Association in Toronto. Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon '06 saw 70 children from the Ethiopian Association participating in the Scotiabank MarathonKIDS programme, with many of their parents out cheering or running in the Waterfront 5K with them.
The children and their parents will be back this year, and they will be joined by four very good, elite Ethiopian marathoners: two women and three men, Asha Gigi, Merima Denboba, Feyisse Tusse, Kasime Adilo and pacemaker Hashim Roba. They will also be accompanied to Toronto by Gashaw Zergaw, Deputy Manager of the Great Ethiopian Run 10K—the largest race in Africa with 30,000 participants—and a crew from Ethiopia TV2 who will be coming to film Toronto Waterfront Marathon and the Ethiopian community here. They will then produce a one-hour highlights programme for showing in Ethiopia in October.
A week last Friday, August 31st, Gashaw and the crew went to film the athletes training for Toronto Waterfront in the forest at Sululta, north of Addis. They also took some "still" photos and did some short interviews with Asha, Merima, and Feyisse. In addition to giving us a glimpse of them as real people, and of their home training ground, Gashaw's interviews provide some excellent insight into the importance of running in generating income for the families of elite Ethiopian athletes. They show us how large, extended families have become dependant on the monies won by their athletics champions, and how female athletes have become household bread-winners, reversing the traditional role of wives and husbands.
Chat with Asha Gigi
Q. Tell us a bit about yourself?
Asha: I am an athlete who has tried almost every field of athletics from short to long distance; from cross country to the marathon. I have represented my country at various international competitions. I have been in the sport for about 15 years now.
Q. How have you been able to compete at this level for so long?
Asha: It is all about determination and commitment. And in Ethiopia, we have lots of role models to follow, who give you an incredible mental strength. On top of all this, I have a commitment to support my family. I always have my commitment to my family in my mind.
Q. Who is your role model?
Aisha: Derartu & Haile are my heroes.
Q. What about your commitment to your family?
Asha: You know I am married and have a six-year-old boy. Besides that, I am responsible for four other children, of my sister and brothers. In looking after them, I have to school, feed and clothe them. In order to do that I have to earn money for which I train hard day and night to win races abroad. The day I stop this, I stop earning, and have to send the kids back to the poor countryside of my parents. That's something I don't want to think about.
Q. Where do you do your training?
Asha: We train at different places outside Addis Ababa. But I like training most at Sululta.
Q. Can you tell us what Sululta looks like?
Asha: Sululta is a forest area and hilly land, north of Addis. The air there is pure, and everything else makes it desirable for training.
Q. How are you looking for Scotia Toronto Waterfront Marathon?
Aisha: I heard that it is a big event and I am working hard for it.
Q. Do you think you will break Canada's All-comers record of 2:26:01?
Asha: Only God knows that. But I am determined to lower my personal best of 2:26:05 and break the all-comers record.
Chat with Merima Denboba
Q. How is the running life?
Merima: It is challenging, as well as enjoyable. It is challenging, for once you get into the running life, especially representing your country at international competitions, you start feeling extremely responsible. This responsibility provides a constant challenge to maintain this level. Thus, I train hard with incredible reserves of mental and physical stamina. The happy side of it is you wear your country's flag at international competitions, you get fame, you will have respect, and of course earn good money compared to many ordinary Ethiopians.
Q. How you long have you been in athletics?
Merima: For almost seventeen years now.
Q. What was your specialization?
Merima: I can say I've tried it all. Cross Country for a majority of the time, a bit of track and road races, mainly half marathons. As yet, I haven't achieved what I want in Marathon.
Q. What are you aiming for at Toronto Waterfront, or for the marathon distance in general?
Merima: With God's help, I will try to record a sub 2:30 in the near future—improving my personal best of 2:32.
Q. Do you think Scotia Toronto Waterfront will be a place to achieve this dream?
Merima: That is my hope. Even if I am quite busy with other family and social responsibilities, I give top priority to my training. I expect something new at Toronto Waterfront.
Q. Are your family responsibilities something different from other athletes, that make you busy?
Merima: Definitely. My case is a bit different in this regard. I have ten family members to take care of. Even though I am married, but have no children of my own, I am responsible for ten children of my brothers and sisters. This number was even more a year ago. One of my sister's daughters who has grown up with me has recently joined Addis Ababa University — the #1 university in the country, and left our home.
Q. How you then manage all this with your training?
Merima: My husband is spends a lot of time helping with the children; I mainly take care of the income generation.
Q. You must have a big house to accommodate all these children?
Merima: Yes we have a big house near to Haile Gebreselassie's buildings at Bole Airport Road.
Q. I can imagine how hard you have to train to win races and prize money. Where do you train?
Merima: I train with my local manager's group. He is Getaneh Tessema, with the Global Club. We train every day in the mornings. [Tessema is also husband of Gete Wami, World Cross Country champion, World Championships 10,000 metres gold medalist, and 2006 Berlin Marathon champion].
Chat with Feyessa Tusse
Q. Can you tell us a bit about yourself?
I am from Bekoji, Arsi, where all the best Ethiopian athletes like Derartu, Dibabas and Bekele come from. I first started running at school. Originally, I used to be a good footballer, representing my region. It was a particicular incident that brought me to running. One time at school, my teacher put us in a group for an 800m competition, and I was assigned with a girl. That girl beat me, and I felt so embarrassed that it made me to be committed to train hard. After that, I started competing at 1500m for my school and representing my region, Arsi. I began to take my athletics life seriously in 1997. At that time, I joined the project called Global Addidas that was run by Haile Gebreselalsie. I stayed there for some years and later joined Maremia Athletics Club where I am a member now.
Q. What was your specialization?
When I started at Global, I was running 5000m and 10,000m, and over the last two years I have moved up to the marathon.
Q. What have been your best achievements?
My personal best for 5000m is 13:46; 10000m is 27:43 and marathon is 2:11:39.
Q. What has been your biggest win so far?
My big win was my 2:15:06 Country Music Marathon in America in 2006. It was big win for it was a challenging course and a tough race, and also because I won a car.
Q. How many Marathons have you run so far?
I run five Marathons. Four in America and one in France.
Q. Where do you train and do you do it in group?
Yes, we train in group. My training partners are Kasim Adilo and Ahemed Gobena and some others.
Q. How many days and hours do you train?
I train everyday—twice a day, in the morning and evening. I do one and a half to two hours training everyday.
Q. Do you live far from your training place?
It is a bit far. I leave west of Addis at a place called Betel. I train in forest at Sululta, and on an asphalt road for my 20km to 35km distance run. For speed workouts I go to the track, and sandy surface.
Q. Do you have family?
I am married. I have three children, aged five, three and six months old.
Q. Are you responsible for other relatives, like the other athletes?
Absolutely! I am responsible for five close relatives, outside my own children.
Q. What were your most-recent races?
Houston Marathon in January 2007. I was first in 2:11:39. I got US$25,000 prize money.
Q. How are things looking for Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon?
I am in good condition. I will wait to see who will be in Toronto, lining up on the start line. Everybody tries to win. We Ethiopians do not promise before the race—we wait to see what happens in the competition, once the race starts. But I am confident that I can register a better time than my recent and personal best of 2:11:39. I am hopeful that Toronto Waterfront will give me a chance to have a better time and run Beijing.
