Great Ethiopian Run, Athletics Federation sign 100,000 br deal

By Groum Abate

Organizers of the 2006 TOYOTA Great Ethiopian Run, one of Africa 's biggest road races, are to sign a technical support contract with the Ethiopian Athletics Federation.

Sources told Capital that Haile G/Sellasie and Bisrat Gashaw Tena of the Federation are scheduled to sign the agreement today, November 12 th 2006. The technical support the federation is to give the Great Ethiopian Run would cost 100,000 birr, according to our sources.

For sometime there have been talks that the Great Ethiopian Run may not take place due to disagreement with the Athletics Federation. The later, is said to have claimed 50% from the total income of the event, which the organizers refused, stating that they do not make that much profit from the event, according to sources. After negotiations the two parties agreed for the organizers to pay a technical support fee of 100,000 birr to the federation based on the latter's technical support proposal.

Organizers of the event claim that they spend almost 200,000 birr annually for organizing the event. They say that the money goes to race publicity material and organization, which costs 56 birr per competitor, 21 birr less than the fee charged to the participant. The balance is covered by sponsors. The profit at the end would be used for publicity and other race organizations, according to the sources. It was reported that Sonia O'Sullivan will compete in this year's Great Ethio pian Run. “I have watched the race on TV before, and I know it's getting bigger every year,” said O'Sullivan, who has dual Irish and Australian nationality. “Having competed against Et hiopia 's top athletes over the years, I'm lo oking forward to visiting the country for the first time and re newing friendships.”

Olympic champwions Hicham EI Guerrouj and Carolina Kluft will be in attendance, although not competing.

Twenty-five thousand participants have already registered for the l0 km race scheduled for 26 November.