Fita Bayissa (© Allsport)
While the possibility lingers of another clash between Ethiopia's Haile Gebrselassie and Kenya's Paul Tergat in this year's race, the organisers were today able to announce that Germany’s 1992 Olympic 5000m champion Dieter Baumann has definitely confirmed his participation in the race, setting up an interesting encounter with Ethiopia's Fita Bayissa, the man he beat in the 5000m final in the Barcelona Olympics ten years ago.
Both men are sprightly to say the least considering the length of their careers. This year Baumann (37) took the silver at the European Championships in August, and it was only two seasons ago that Bayissa (29) was fourth in the Sydney Olympics.
At the press conference held to officially launch this year's edition of the race, Event Co-ordinator Richard Nerurkar expressed his delight at the prospect of having Baumann on board. "He is a great Athlete who is very well known in Europe and Africa because he is one of the very few Europeans to have beaten Africans at a major event in the last ten years," he said. " We are delighted to have him in order to promote the image of the sport in the country and show to the outside world that Ethiopia is quite capable of hosting such a big event and produce a world-class field at the same time."
The Great Ethiopian run will become the biggest International Road race in Africa when an estimated 16,500 runners take to the start on November 3.
Four-time World and twice Olympic 10,000m champion Haile Gebrselassie will attend, and like last year may even take part in the race that is aimed to promote the sport in Ethiopia and to raise funds for the development of the country's first ever Athletics Village in Sendafa, on the outskirts of the Addis Ababa.
Meanwhile, the event-organizers have confirmed that they have contacted Kenyan Paul Tergat to participate in the event. Pending confirmation, the organizers are hoping for a repeat of the 2000m Olympic 10,000m final where Gebrselassie beat Tergat by the scruff of his neck to win his second successive Olympic gold over the distance.