Great Ethiopian Run has opened registration for its annual international 10km race with a record 60,000 places, while announcing Bank of America as the event’s new presenting partner in a deal officials say will help expand the race’s reach and impact.
The 2026 race is set for 22 November and will mark the start of the new partnership, which organisers say will support the long-term goal of making the event the world’s biggest 10km road race by 2030. The same partnership will also extend to the women’s 5km race in March 2027, around International Women’s Day, and to the children’s races held on the same weekend.
Great Ethiopian Run said the race’s growth reflects both its strong local appeal and its rising international profile. While most places are typically taken by Ethiopian runners, organisers expect more overseas participants as the event continues to build on its World Athletics Label status.
Dagmawit Amare, managing director of Great Ethiopian Run, said the partnership opens a new chapter for the race and its wider social impact. She said the event aims to create more youth opportunity, boost sport tourism and support local enterprise, while continuing to draw on the backing of existing partners.
Three thousand free places, or 5 percent of the total registration number, will be reserved for high school students in their graduation year. Organisers said the move is intended to address a gap in the race’s participant mix and to keep the event inclusive, especially for young people.
For the first time in the race’s 26-year history, chip timing will be used for mass participants who are targeting competitive finishing times. Organisers said runners will also be encouraged to use a new training app designed to help them prepare for the race and make running a more regular part of their daily lives.
The event is also expanding its charitable work. Great Ethiopian Run said its annual Run For A Cause campaign will be strengthened through its online giving platform, with three organizations selected by the Ethiopian Ministry of Women and Social Affairs set to benefit. This year’s fundraising target is more than 5 million birr.
Yvonne Ike, head of sub-Saharan Africa at Bank of America, said the Great Ethiopian Run has become an important platform for community engagement, youth inspiration and international visibility. She said the partnership reflects the bank’s support for an event that creates economic opportunity and helps strengthen Ethiopia’s global sporting profile.
Registration for the race is available only through the Telebirr app. Entry fees are set at 790 birr for the Red Start from Meskel Square and 950 birr for the Green Start from outside the Ghion Hotel, where the chip-timed runners will begin.
