Run the World by Becky Wade

Author:Becky Wade
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: HarperCollins
Published: 2016-05-26T16:00:00+00:00

The Yaya Girls and me with the stash of mysterious plants we’d collected in a stranger’s field. Photograph courtesy of the author

WEARING AN ADIDAS SWEAT SUIT color-blocked in green, yellow, and red, with ETHIOPIA spanning his shoulder blades, Haile Gebrselassie stood at the entrance of his mansion ready to greet every visitor. Dan, Julia, and I were guests at his annual party following the Great Ethiopian Run—Africa’s largest 10K, one of Haile’s many investments, and a stepping-stone for many up-and-coming runners. Along with Mesi, who was one of the top finishers, I was offered a spot in the elite corral on behalf of Yaya Village. Unlike her, I spent most of the race in no-man’s-land, positioned between the fastest women and the nearly forty thousand recreational runners behind us, a Christmas-colored mob thanks to that year’s red-and-green race shirts. The race was an eye-opening experience—soldiers barricading the starting line, ensuring no false starts; more females ahead of me than any race I could remember; and the streets of Addis overtaken by runners, instead of the usual cars, animals, and vendors—but the party that followed was even more so.

Haile’s mansion rests halfway up Mount Entoto on the opposite side of Sululta, with a panoramic view of Addis Ababa. The backyard party featured a live band, shimmering pool, shaded tables, extravagant buffet, ongoing coffee ceremony, and a handful of running superstars. Among them, I recognized Tiki Gelana, reigning Olympic Marathon champion, and Tsegaye Kebede, bronze medalist in the 2008 Olympic Marathon.

Many of Haile’s guests were foreigners—international runners, members of the media, and VIPs—and all of us were in awe of this lean, five-foot-five giant of a man who gave no indication that he’s one of the most decorated and formidable distance runners of all time, only six days away from running a major marathon in Tokyo. A natural host, Haile strolled around his backyard, mingling with his starstruck guests, posing for pictures, and even serving drinks. “In a marathon, there are only drink stations every few kilometers,” he said at one point. “But at my house, there are drinks every meter—so please, drink up!” Haile is beloved and revered in his home country, having earned 27 world records, 2 Olympic gold medals, and 5 World Championship titles, and run an astounding 10 sub-2:07 marathons. Not only has he given Ethiopia something to rally behind and inspired legions of younger runners, he’s constantly funneling money back into the Ethiopian economy through a number of business ventures: the Great Ethiopian Run, Yaya Village, the Alem Center (a multipurpose building with a gym in Addis Ababa), his namesake race in the city of Hawassa, and even the very first cinema designed to play local movies exclusively.

Dan, Julia, and I ate our fill from the buffet, stuffing our stomachs with rarities for Ethiopia such as grilled Nile perch, whole chicken breasts, vegetable curry, and carrot cake. The only dish I didn’t sample—my single refusal of the whole year—was kitfo, a minced raw beef dish that usually appears at special events like weddings and holidays.

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