Double Olympic 1500m champion Faith Kipyegon will be the guest of honour at the 21st edition of the Great Ethiopian Run International 10km race in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia on November 14.
Kipyegon described the invite as a great opportunity to finally set foot in the land of Kenya’s archrivals in long-distance athletics.
“For many years, I have wanted to visit our neighbour Ethiopia. I am also very happy to support the Great Ethiopian Run, which has inspired so many young athletes and is also helping people to lead a healthy lifestyle,” Kipyegon said.
The 2021 Diamond League trophy winner said she is also looking forward to meeting double 10,000m Olympic champion and athletics legend, Haile Gebreselassie.
“Haile had such a big impact on running in Ethiopia and Kenya and it is an honour for me to accept his invitation to this year’s race,” she said.
Commenting on the latest development, Dagmawit Amare, the race’s general manager, said they are excitedly looking forward to welcoming Kipyegon, who has also been nominated for this year’s World Athletics Female Athlete of the Year award.
“As one of Kenya’s greatest ever athletes with an amazing record of championship victories, Faith is well known to athletics fans in Ethiopia. It will be an honour to have her with us for the race,” Amare said.
Kipyegon has been in immaculate form this year, overcoming the challenges of motherhood to reclaim her Olympic title in Tokyo during which she upstaged world 1500m and Olympic 10,000m/5000m champion Sifan Hassan of the Netherlands.
Whereas the Dutchwoman swatted aside every challenge on the track on the way to a dominant 2021, Kipyegon proved to be the kryptonite to Sifan’s superhuman abilities by further trumping her to the Diamond League trophy in September.