First Lady Margaret Kenyatta extends her pre-marathon training to Addis Ababa

ADDIS ABABA: If you imagined that the First Lady Margaret Kenyatta had slackened in her Marathon training sessions, you are dead wrong!

The First Lady at dawn this morning created excitement in the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa, when she and her team braved a morning drizzle to run a 5-kilometre stretch that involved running a circuitous and hilly route.

Along the way, the First Lady was joined by the famed Ethiopian marathon world-beaters who used the same route but at very high speed in the oxygen-deficient high altitude capital.

There were more surprises for the Kenyan team when they entered the famous Meskel Square in Addis Ababa where a sea of humanity, including young children and women were engaged in various sporting exercises especially football.

Meskel Square is used by the famed Ethiopian runners to cool down after running in the hilly capital.

The rain and the mud in the square did not deter the resilient First Lady and her team from completing her 51-minute morning training session which started and ended with stretching exercises at the Sheraton Hotel.

The First Lady is in Addis Ababa to attend the official inauguration of the new president of the Organization of African First Ladies against HIV/AIDS (OAFLA) Saturday.

The First Lady of Ghana, Nana Lordina Mahama will formally assume the OFLA presidency from its outgoing holder, the First Lady of Chad, Hilda Itno Derby.

The ceremony is hosted by the First Lady of Ethiopia, Roman Tesfaye at both the OAFLA secretariat and the Sheraton Hotel.