Ethiopians Runner dominated 1st African Mountain Running Championships 2009

"Ethiopian ,Habtamu Fikadu Awash enters in the history of mountain running like first African Mountain Running Champion. He won the Continental title finishing eleven kilometres of the 5th Obudu International Mountain Race in 42 minutes and 3 seconds, defeating Ugandan Geoffrey Kusuro, silver medallist, and Abebe Dinkesa, from Ethiopia too, as bronze medallist in the 1st African Mountain Running Championships.

Ethiopia team won also the Continental title, in front of Uganda (second) and host Country Nigeria (third).
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In the Nation's team African Championships Cameroon finished fourth, Kenya fifth and Egypt sixth. For the Egyptian runners it was a debut in the international event in mountain running. Eritrean team was absent due visa problem at the last moment.

Habtamu Fikadu Awash took also the 50.000 USD like winner of the 5th Obudu International Mountain Race, the race with the richest prize money in the world! For the third following time Geoffrey Kusuro received 20.000 USD as second. Instead third in the 5th Obudu International Mountain Race was Kenyan Macdonard Ondara and fourth was other Kenyan Hillary Kipchumba, in front of Abebe Dinkesa (third in the individual African Championships this year and winner of the 4th Obudu International Mountain Race last year).

In the women race of the 5th Obudu International Mountain Race, Ethiopians took all the three places on the podium: Mamitu Daska, won the race with the record time of 49 minutes and 12 second, in front of Mestawet Tufa and Meselech Melkamu Hileyesus. Kenyan Margaret Wangare finished fourth, just one second behind third position.

All the present appreciated the organisation of the race that was good and for the future it will be possible to stage the second African Mountain Running Championships 2010, introducing also the title (individual and team) for women category, if AAC will be agree, like all hopes.
All the civil and sport Authorities attending to the event, led by Cross River State Governor, Senator Lyonel Imoke, and Mr. William Archibong, LOC Chairman, showed their interest for staging in the future a WMRA World Mountain Running Championships in Nigeria, Obudu Ranch Resort, following WMRA regulations, and
Bruno Gozzelino, WMRA President, who also attended to the event, was satisfied to taking note of this possibility.
Full result of the 1st African Mountain Running Championships 2009 in WMRA webpage.

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