Ethiopia, in the Horn of Africa, is a rugged, landlocked country split by the Great Rift Valley. With archaeological finds dating back more than 3 million years, it’s a place of ancient culture.
Ethiopia has a total area of 1,100,000 square kilometres and over 109 million inhabitants, making it the 13th-most populous country in the world and the 2nd-most populous in Africa. The national capital and largest city is Addis Ababa.
The competition was first envisioned by neighbors Ethiopian runner Haile Gebrselassie's return from the 2000 Summer Olympics. The 10,000 entries for the first edition quickly sold out and other people unofficially joined in the race without a number. The creation of the race marked the first time that a major annual 10 km race had been held in the country, renowned for producing world class runners. The day's events include an international and popular 10 km race and a 5 km women only race.
Meskel is a Christian holiday in the Ethiopian Orthodox and Eritrean Orthodox churches that commemorates the discovery of the True Cross by the Roman Empress Helena in the fourth century. Meskel occurs on the 17 Meskerem in the Ethiopian calendar. "Meskel" is Ge'ez for "cross".
The prayer of Eid al-fitr and Eid al-adha is prayed in all cities including the capital, Addis Ababa. Over millions of muslims gather to pray every year.