ADDIS ABABA – Ofse Abdisa of Legetafo-Lgedadi came out first in the first ever Irreechaa Peace 10 kilometers women’s Road race that took place on Sunday leaving behind Mestewat Fikru (privete) and Anchalem Haimanot of Debrebirhan University to take the second and third places, in the order of that.
In the men’s event Berihun Aregawi of Sur Construction emerged first while Hailemariam Kiros of Electric finished second. The third place was won by Dejene Dinberu of Oromia Water works.
The 10-km race began and ended at Meskel square in Addis Ababa on Sunday morning.
The event organizers said that both in women’s and men’s events the winners collected 50 thousand birr each. The second placed pocketed 30 thousand birr while the third place winners earned 20 thousand birr.
Irreechaa is an annual thanksgiving festival within the Oromo community for years. The Irreechaa Peace Run is one of the events that preceded the main Irreechaa festival to be marked 12 days from today in Addis Ababa. This was the first time for Irreechaa to be organized in Addis Ababa in such grand style, the organizers said.
Irreechaa Peace Run organizers said that the first edition has brought an unprecedented 50 thousand participants. “Nearly all the 50, 000 T-Shirts were distributed to the participants in so short a span of time. The race brought together all people from different ethnic groups. We are happy with this,” said the Oromia Regional State Culture and Tourism Bureau Deputy Chief Kebede Disasa.
Before the race kicked off on Sunday morning the Oromia Deputy Administrator Shimelse Abdisa said that the Irreechaa Peace Run is an indicative of the togetherness of the Ethiopian people. “Irreechaa is one of the reflections of the Oromo’s traditional values. It brought today thousands of people at this center. We are one and the same united people. We will remain so in the years to come.” Shimeles remarked.
The Ethiopian Athletics Federation Acting President Derartu Tulu and other Oromia officials were present during the kick-off.
The two-time Olympic gold medalist and multiple world athletics title holder Derartu Tule said that organizing such kind of mass athletics race clearly serves to show the good image of the country. “We were the ambassadors of the country in the international arena. Our victory adds up for the good images of Ethiopia.
The Oromo athletes have immense contribution for the big name of the country in the world of athletics. This mass participation event will serve as recruitment ground for the future representatives of the country. The tradition of bringing up new talents will be sustained with this kind of race,” Derartu expressed her hopes for the future of athletics.
At the end of the race the veteran politician Professor Merera Gudina, a teacher at the Addis Ababa University at the Department of Political Science, appreciated the way Irreechaa Peace Run was organized. ETV footage showed that Merera was one of the participants of the race.
He said, “This is the outcome of the long time struggle by the youth of the Oromos and other Ethiopians for many years. We fought to get this day and we achieved it today. It is a day of celebration for all Ethiopian people. Respecting the culture and tradition of different ethnic groups will show the multi-faceted face of the Ethiopian people. This kind of traditional value is actually the center of our unity as one solid state.”
- The organizers said that the seasons Irreechaa annual festival will be marked in Addis Ababa and Bishoftu. The Addis Irreechaa, known as Hora Finfine will be marked on October 5 while the Bishoftu Irreechaa, Hora Arsede, is celebrated the next day.
The Ethiopian Herald September 24, 2019
BY SOLOMON BEKELE
