Addis Ababa, Ethiopia – The 2008 Toyota Great Ethiopian Run registration closed at the end of last week with all 32,000 places sold out for the race which this year takes place on Sunday 23 November.

Ethiopia’s annual international 10km remains Africa’s biggest by participant numbers with just short of 29,000 finishing the race last year which was won by 20-year-old Tsegaye Kebede who three months ago was the surprise bronze medallist in the 2008 Beijing Olympic Marathon.

Among the guests attending this year’s race is Sweden’s 2004 Olympic Heptathlon champion Carolina Kluft, while Britain’s Mo Farah, European 5000m silver medallist, is currently training in Addis Ababa and is likely to participate in the race.

In addition to the 32,000 participating, around 3,000 youngsters aged 11 and under will take part in the 2008 AIMS Children Series, the third leg of a series of races promoting running for children in the developing world. These races have a special resonance with the event’s fundraising campaign for orphans and vulnerable children which is being jointly promoted by Great Ethiopian Run and UNICEF Ethiopia.

– Elaine Boyd, IAAF