Every Moment the sun set behind the brow of the hill. The road up is winding, narrow between the dry bushes and smaller and larger chunks of rock on the slope. The pilgrimage to 2500 meters above sea level is already a good bit behind us. Of the nearly thousand-year old rock-hewn churches in Lalibela from the distance, only the oversized roofs, and has established the Unesco protection. Our aim is to Asheten Maryam monastery, high up, roughly carved out of the rock is. Also there to pray and celebrate the Orthodox Christians almost continuously. It is three days before Christmas according to the Julian calendar on 7. January.
That we have to complete instead of the slight duration of the run-up to Lalibela, a mountain run up to the monastery, has a lot to do with Desale to. The 24-Year-old is a part-time employee in the Hotel, in which we live. Desale is an ambitious recreational runner and dreams, like so many in the country from participating in the national Championships. However, this route is far. He quickly recognized the intention of the approximately 20-member Swiss group. This will of course see the architectural marvels in the Form of eleven rock-hewn churches. But: you want to run. In Lalibela, and where the Best run.
Ethiopia not only provides professional long-distance runners in its high country, excellent training conditions. We are recreational runners, width, athletes, and Amateur athletes discover completely new and fascinating mountain and hill landscapes. And a world in which runners are in a special position to have. The legends Haile Gebrselassie and Kenenisa Bekele – the one we will meet – have made in the last few decades, with their Olympic and world championship gold medals abroad, a lot of advertising for the Ethiopian running. But also for the benefits of their country.
sandals on the pilgrimage route
Markus Ryffel, and Martin Weber, the twelve-day round-trip direct together with a local Guide. Ryffel won the 1984 Olympic Games, the silver medal over 5000 meters, Weber is a tropical doctor regularly and in crisis areas of the Red cross active. Both, therefore, of Desales proposal to convince the mountain running seems to be for the whole group as an enrichment. Instead of working with us on the Bus, proceed up, he shows us the foot – and pilgrimage. Those who do not want to run the March of the sun, the more Ambitious pull away at the front with the Ethiopian runner.
running friends: Markus Ryffel (l) and Haile Gebrselassie. Photo: mos
The early-morning discussion on the question of which running shoes are the most suitable, before coming to us soon is ridiculous. Because with us, pilgrims, Native nimble around five kilometers and 500 meters high. Mothers, fathers, children of all ages to wear, without exception, sandals colorful plastic. You seem to have in the steep passages of sufficient support for it. Only in the Church, you have to take them off (as we have our running shoes also).
Although it is only half-past nine o’clock, we are late. Many Church-goers are already on the way back from the prayer meeting. We cross all the columns, nod occasionally to a greeting, harvest, but also puzzled looks. This way seems to be not a classic route.
Morning Jogging on the Meskel Square in Addis Ababa. Photo: Alamy Stock
But the view is, the higher we get, the more phenomenal: in Front of us the vast Land stretches. The mountain is steep and goes on in hilly terrain. This picture or the one with the impressive waterfalls of the Blue Nile, which we explore on a hike near Bahir Dars must be well-meant, if in connection with Ethiopia, the “cradle of humanity” the speech is.
The farmers cultivate their fields in the simplest way. What we perceive as a bright, round dots, are the threshing places. Oxen and cows are there with the flail their rounds. Time seems to stand still. Desale has not promised too much. The barrel is a memorable experience. Although we are moving at 3000 meters above sea level, we have the height no problems, two days of Acclimation have helped.
The small monastery Church, is not crowded, which surprised us in these days. In contrast to the fact that we have met except for our Guide to anyone running here for pleasure, although we are in the Land of the runner. The Locals, at least the adults, have other things to Worry about. How much the Run however, in the culture and the minds of the youth is enshrined as one of the few possibilities of social ascension, we experience the next Morning in the neighboring village of Lalibela.
As we are already in Addis Ababa is run here early in the morning in the centre. Dozens of young people turning to the huge ash place their warm-up laps. Their kits are poor, not even half of wearing Jogging shoes. You have to be content with their sandals, your joy and your zeal, this seems to do no harm. Soon they split into groups. Here the middle-distance runner, there are those who are on long-haul routes to home. Be trained by a local athletics instructor. He proudly shows us the diploma to him, the Ethiopian Association handed out.
Haile and Small-Magglingen
The young are more ambitious at work than those Ethiopian Amateur runners and runners that we encounter in the capital on the Meskel Square. On the large Central square in September 2015 opened tram passes. As in an amphitheatre and will run paragraphs on the hundreds of meters long staircase. At the most it is on the grassy steps to a light Jog in the day.
The actual run-of-Mecca is located in the North of the city. The drive there takes about half an hour. Our goal is the Yaya Village of Haile Gebrselassie’s. Not until after his retirement as a top sportsman, he has become an important employer in Ethiopia. The 46-Year-old employs about 2000 Locals in the agricultural sector. He is a car importer and operator of four of the leisure resorts. The one in the suburb of Sululta to 2800 meters above sea level is a popular destination for the more affluent Locals, especially but training destination of elite runners from around the world. The owner was often in Europe and the Western world on the road, you can see that the system and the Hotel good. It offers a lot of comfort.
Here, at the foot of the Entoto mountains, we run the woods in eucalyptus, the groups of employees of the resort led. We also encounter the Gang in the Sauna and in the weight room again. It already has its reasons, why the Village of the Swiss, the Nickname “Small-Magglingen” has get. Just behind the entrance gate Gebrselassie had to create a path, and vis-à-vis, in the Park, you will find a swimming pool.
enlarge map
And then he stands suddenly. We stretch the coffee in the garden the legs, as Gebrselassie out of nowhere shows up. “Good afternoon, everybody!”, it sounds cheerful in the round. The charismatic business man inquires after the well-being of its guests, rummages with his friend Markus Ryffel in the memories of his world record runs at the “world class Zurich” and then tells of Ethiopia.
Has there ever been someone with a wider Laugh as the Haile Gebrselassie? He announces, again in the morning from Addis Abeba to come up to run with us. We feel indeed honored, however, doubt and deceive us mightily. Gebrselassie is not only home to the Best, the build up in the long and hilly runs, the Form for the big occasions. He is in charge of us Amateur athletes, have found in some of the Best for life.
The trip was supported by tourism, Suisse/Kuoni.
Created: 19.09.2019, 17:45 PM
