Tola and Daska take the honours at the Great Ethiopian Run

By Paul Gains –

Addis Ababa, Ethiopia – Tamirat Tola ran away from a strong field to win at the 15th Great Ethiopian Run, earning a prestigious victory in one of Africa’s biggest road races on Sunday.

The 24-year-old from the Oromiya Police Club was on few people’s lists of pre-race favourites though he has run 27:22.64 for 10,000m on the track and a 2:06:17 marathon but in the end carved out a six second gap over 10km on the roads to win in 28:44.

Bonsa Dida, like Tola a member of the victorious Ethiopian senior men’s team at the IAAF World Cross Country Championships Guiyang 2015 earlier this year, claimed second in 28:50.

Adugna Takele, a club mate of Tola, was third in 28:55. Takele, it should be noted, ran 27:19.34 last summer to demonstrate the calibre of athletes racing in Addis Ababa on Sunday.

The women’s race saw Mamitu Daska, 32, put almost a minute between herself and her nearest rivals before crossing the line in 32:16. She broke clear just after the halfway point and continued to extend her lead over the uphill second half of the course.

Read more at: IAAF.org