The New York Times has an article on Ethiopian long-distance runners today (Tuesday). It’s worth reading. NewMexiKen thought the following gave some indication of how important running is to the world’s fourth poorest country (but one never colonized by Europeans).
The social event of last summer in Addis Ababa was the June wedding of the reigning men’s Olympic marathon champion, Gezahegne Abera, to Elfenesh Alemu, who finished second in the women’s race at the Boston Marathon last month.
The wedding was at the national stadium, and the train on the bride’s dress circled the quarter-mile track and was carried by scores of schoolchildren.
It’s a good article.