When excited kids from local schools ran, played and tumbled their way through the 'little' part of Little Big Run last week, they were keenly watched by an observer from Ethiopia.
Ermias Ayele, marketing manager for Africa's largest road race, the Great Ethiopian Run, visited Edmonton last week with two goals in mind. First was to see what he could take from the organisation of Little Big Run back to Ethiopia, and secondly to build ties to the Faculty of Physical Education and Recreation.
"We have thousands of good runners in Ethiopia," said Ayele, who has been working with the Great Ethiopian Race since 2005, "but we are interested in how to develop a good coaching model for all of these fantastic athletes."
Dr. Jim Denison, an expert in coaching education in the Faculty has stepped up in a significant way, offering to share his skills, thanks to a long-standing connection to the African nation through its world famous long distance runner, Haile Gebrselassie whose official biography he authored in 2004. Gebreselassie won gold medals in the 10,000m distance at the Olympic Games in 1996 and 2000, and is the world record holder in marathon.
The two men have remained friends - and they've been strategising how they might assist Ethiopia's runners who often don't have the funds to be able to travel internationally to compete.
To make Ayele's visit a reality, Denison connected with the local Ethiopian Community Association which responded enthusiastically, quickly raising the funds to cover Ayele's airfare and accommodation - and ultimately fielding 70 runners from the Ethiopian community in Little Big Run, all ignited by the connection with Gebrselassie, a folk hero and wildly popular among his countrymen.
Denison sees strong possibilities for connections between this faculty and others on campus with the Great Ethiopian Run by way of student exchanges, expanding opportunities for Ethiopian runners to compete internationally, and opportunities for new research.
"I hope this is the start of something really special," says Denison. "Africa is an important place in the world and there are many issues, challenges and opportunities there. Through this link with Haile and the Great Ethiopian Run, I think we can have a number of positive effects both locally and in Ethiopia."
"When Haile was in Edmonton in 2001 to run in the World Championships in Athletics, he was greatly impressed by the passion of the local Ethiopian community - and particularly interested in whether there was a way for the running communities in Edmonton and Addis Ababa to form a relationship," said Denison. "We thought that a link between our cities' top road races, the Little Big Run, and the Great Ethiopian Run would be one of the best ways to do that."
Associate Dean, Community and International Engagement, Tom Hinch, sees the connection with the Great Ethiopian Run as a golden opportunity for students and faculty exchanges and a way of strengthening links to the international community. "Our student practicum program offers an excellent opportunity to get students involved in the formulation of collaborative activities. A good starting point would be to have a student work with the local African community and the Great Ethiopian Race to develop an understanding of their needs and how our faculty and students might be able to contribute," said Hinch.
Kevin Tyler, director of The Canadian Athletics Coaching Centre where a number of Canada's premiere athletes train, is excited at the prospect of having some of Ethiopia's top athletes visit and train in Edmonton. "Ethiopia is a world leader in the development of endurance athletes," said Tyler. "We look forward to the opportunity to train alongside these great athletes and learn about how they approach the long distance running events. This collaboration will provide tremendous learning opportunities for Canadian athletes and coaches alike."
Ayele, a student of sport and leisure and Leeds Metropolitan University in England, says he's pleased the connection has been made. "I am really impressed both by the potential here at the U of A and especially within the Faculty of Physical Education and Recreation. The staff were all so welcoming and enthusiastic. And add to that the keen interest from the local Ethiopian Community in Edmonton and I am sure something exciting will happen in the future."
Denison also says links with the Ethiopian community in Edmonton may yield opportunities for student practicum experiences in Edmonton's new Africa Centre. "The possibilities are endless," said Denison. "This relationship will enrich our faculty enormously."