Kenyan Legends And Record Prize Money Set For Landmark 25th Great Ethiopian Run

The stage is set for an electrifying 25th anniversary of the Sofi Malt Great Ethiopian Run International 10km, with organisers pulling out all the stops for a historic celebration. The competition brought together three of Kenya’s renewed distance-running legends—Paul Tergat, Moses Tanui, and Daniel Komen—will grace the event as special guests, while a record-breaking prize purse of over 1.8 million Birr awaits the elite athletes.

Scheduled for Sunday, November 23, 2025, the race is expected to draw 50,000 participants, with the presence of the Kenyan icons adding a layer of historic rivalry to the festivities. In addition, the three athletes will share track and road battles with Ethiopian running icon Haile Gebrselassie, the founder of the race.

Paul Tergat, the former marathon world record holder, is no stranger to the Addis Ababa event, having last attended just weeks after his Berlin Marathon world record in 2003. His epic Olympic duels with Gebrselassie in 1996 and 2000, where he claimed silver twice.

According to the organizers of the race, the anniversary is not just about celebrating past glories but also about rewarding current excellence.

The race, which has held World Athletics Label Road Race status since 2017, has announced a significant increase in its winner’s prize money. The added that the athlete who crosses the finish line first will be awarded 400,000 Birr, an amount that jumps from 250,000 Birr last year.

“To mark this special 25th edition, we have increased the prize money to celebrate the athletes’ achievements and to further elevate the prestige of Africa’s largest mass-participation road race,” said an official from the Great Ethiopian Race during the press briefing, adding that the second and third-place finishers will receive 200,000 Birr and 100,000 Birr respectively.

According to the official, the prize raise exceeds the award money to a total of 1.8 million Birr.

Beyond the elite competition, the event also maintains its strong community focus through its charity arm. Organizers noted that the ‘I Run to Help Others’ campaign, integral to the 2018 Sofi Malt Great Run, aims to raise four million Birr. This year, the beneficiary organisations—Cheshire Ethiopia, the Tesfa Social and Development Association, and the Federation of Ethiopian Associations of Persons with Disabilities—were selected through the Ministry of Women and Social Affairs.

A representative from one of the charity partners highlighted the event’s broader impact. “The funds raised through this campaign are transformative. They will directly support our work in creating opportunities for some of the most vulnerable in our society, turning a day of sport into a lasting legacy of social good,” said the representative.

As Addis Ababa prepares for the monumental race, organizers said that the convergence of legendary rivalries, a record prize fund, and a profound charitable mission promises to make the 25th edition an unforgettable chapter in the history of the Great Ethiopian Run.