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I really love running in Phoenix Park and to have the opportunity to run there is something I am really looking forward to.
Sonia O’Sullivan on the Great Ireland Run
Great Run International Programme
Great Run now delivers a comprehensive portfolio of events across the UK and in recent years the series has branched into new international markets.
29th November 2009
Melbourne hosts the Great Australian Run, which is now in its second year and has aspirations to grow year-on-year.
The 15km event is run on a unique street circuit through the city centre, starting and finishing on the Grand Prix circuit at Albert Park.
The inaugural event in 2008 was won by Ethiopia’s Haile Gebrselassie in 42min 40sec while Kenyan marathon star Catherine Ndereba won the women’s race in 50:43.
Australia represents a new and exciting arena for Great Run and we hope to build on the success of the first staging of the Great Australian Run.
The first Great Ethiopian Run took place in 2001 and stemmed from an idea to take the Great North Run to Africa. The aim was to establish a world-class running spectacle in, arguably the world’s greatest ever distance runner, Haile Gebreselassie’s home town of Addis Ababa. It was set up by Nova, working with a local team to stage the event in year one with the vision for the future being for it to be delivered by an Ethiopian led team, which it now is.
Eight years later and the Great Ethiopian Run has proved a great success with over 25,000 participants annually.
The event has formed the basis for Nova international’s latest endeavour, the Great African Run series.
