More Ethiopian athletes set to compete in 2025 Eldoret City race

Kenyan marathoners will have an opportunity to compete with their counterparts from Ethiopia at the Eldoret City Marathon on April 27.

Already, at least five elite athletes from the neighbouring country are tuning their sights on competing in the sixth edition.

A number of the Ethiopian long distance athletes have been entered under the partnership between the Eldoret City Marathon and the Ethiopian Great Run.

With the partnership, which will be signed on April 26, just hours to the race, Eldoret City Marathon looks to reinforce its international status, borrowing a number of best practices from the race that is the brainchild of Ethiopian legend Haile Gebrselassie.

Organisers said planning for a bigger and better edition in 2025 was gaining momentum with huge expectations from fans looking forward to a thrilling contest and a global status in a city whose growth is attributed to Kenya's athletics prowess.

Eldoret City Marathon, which remains one of the highest-paying marathons in Africa, had in 2020 achieved recognition by the World Marathon Majors as a qualifier.

Race Director, Kenyan legend Moses Tanui said all the stops are being pulled as Eldoret City Marathon seeks a World Athletics label by attaining the requisite standards.

Tanui, a two-time Boston Marathon winner, said a delegation of 20 people, including officials of the Great Ethiopian Run and senior government officials, will witness the signing of the memorandum of understanding between the two acclaimed races.

"The MoU between the Eldoret City Marathon and the Ethiopian Great Run will be signed on April 26, and we expect elite athletes from Ethiopia as well as tourist runners from the neighbouring country and beyond because the race is being primed to promote sports tourism," Tanui said.

He added: "Top Kenyan tourism officials will also be invited to the Eldoret as we cement the partnership."

A number of athletes from Europe have also entered and ready to run with the champions.

Their entry, organisers say, was a confirmation that the race's profile keeps on soaring higher, globally.

As part of awareness creation ahead of the April 27, race promoter Gladys Boss Shollei is embarking on her training camp visits, an initiative she started last year.

According to Shollei, Eldoret, the city of champions, should have a global marathon.

The route has not been altered this year, meaning athletes will compete on the course which starts outside Highlands Inn Hotel and ends next to Eldoret Central Primary School grounds.

This year, all athletes, particularly the mass runners who have confirmed participation to compete with elites, will complete the race regardless of the times they run.

To achieve this, the security apparatus will close a number of roads until the last athlete finishes the race, making April 27 a walking day in most sections of the city.