By Jeff Hartsell | The Post and Courier

NORTH CAROLINA – Tilahun Regassa appeared to thoroughly enjoy his Cooper River Bridge Run on Saturday morning. Regassa, a 20-year-old from Ethiopia, runs with an odd gait — his right foot turns in awkwardly on each stride — and likes to look around as he races. Regassa took in the Lowcountry sights under a cloudless blue sky, kept a close eye on his competitors, and gradually wore down his fellow elite runners to claim the men’s overall title in the 32nd annual Cooper River Bridge Run.

Regassa, who won a 10K in Richmond, Va., just last weekend, toyed with the field Saturday, surging ahead and then falling back to the pack time and again before finally racing away from Kenyan veteran Mark Kiptoo to cover the 10 kilometers from Mount Pleasant to downtown Charleston in 28 minutes and 24 seconds.

Regassa is the first non-Keynan to win the Bridge Run since American Jeff Cannada of Carrboro, N.C., took the title in 1991, and he led an Ethiopian sweep of the top prizes. Countrywoman Amane Gobena, 26, took the women’s title in 32:25.

Cool temperatures and a brilliant morning sun greeted the 31,430 walkers and runners and 16 wheelchair athletes who completed Saturday’s Bridge Run. But runners reported a slight wind on the Arthur Ravenel Jr. Bridge, a breeze that kept times from matching the best in Bridge Run history.

Regassa’s time of 28:24 tied for the 20th-fastest men’s time in the Bridge Run, while Gobena’s 32:25 ranked 13th in Bridge Run history, which dates back to 1978.

Local and state runners competed well, with 28-year-old Sopagna Eap of Johns Island finishing 15th overall among women to win the Marcus Newberry Award for top local finisher in 36:04. Mount Pleasant’s Brian Johnson claimed the men’s Marcus Newberry Award in 32:41. Noted local runner Tom Mather of Mount Pleasant won the men’s grand masters division in 36:03, just three years after suffering serious injuries when he was hit by a car while cycling.

Regassa, a rising star in road racing, ran 28:21 in raw and damp conditions last weekend in Richmond. He could have bettered that time Saturday, but instead chose to run a strategic race, testing his competitors by pulling away and then falling back to the pack several times.

“He used the tactics very well,” said Kiptoo, the 32-year-old Kenyan who finished second in 28:28. “There was no one to really push the pace consistently. He (Regassa) was trying to see who was strong.”

A lead group of six runners, including 2008 Bridge Run champ Robert Letting of Kenya, hung together off the bridge and down onto Meeting Street in Charleston. As the runners turned right onto John Street and then left on King, Regassa and Kiptoo separated from the pack. And by the time he turned off Wentworth and back up Meeting to the finish, Regassa was by himself.

He spoke no English, but his smile said it all.

“He ran a smart race,” Kiptoo said. “I felt like I had to do a lot of the work myself. And at the end, he just sprinted away.”

Regassa and Gobena each collected a winner’s check of $3,500. The total of 31,430 finishers was the second-highest in Bridge Run history, behind only the 33,678 who finished in 2006, the first time the race was run over the Ravenel Bridge.

ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia — The Commissioner for Social Affairs of the African Union Commission (AUC), Mrs. Bience Gawanas and the European Union (EU) Commissioner for Health, Ms. Androulla Vassiliou, on Saturday 04 April 2009, paid a visit to the Addis Ababa Fistula Hospital (AAFH) in Ethiopia.

The visit of the two Commissioners to the Addis Ababa Fistula Hospital was aimed at raising awareness on the negative effect of early childbirth imposed on the girl child and related injuries. The visit was also an opportunity to suggest possible aid that could be obtained from the European Union to help reinforce the activities of the hospital.

Commissioner Vassiliou noted that the activity of the AAFH is impressive. She expressed the EU willingness to support the hospital’s efforts in strengthening its activities and achieving its goals.

Thus, she said the contribution would be done upon submission of a formal proposal clearly indicating the areas of immediate action.

Dr. Hamlin however informed the two Commissioners that four additional Fistula centers have been opened and are already operational. They are located in the cities of Mekele, Bahirdar, Yirgalem and Harar in Ethiopia. “We are hoping to build the fifth one in Metu soon” she added.

The AAFH is an organization that cares for women with childbirth and related injuries, which was established by Drs. Reginald and Catherin Hamlin in 1974, both Gynecologist-obstetricians to Ethiopia, formerly working at the Princess Tsehai Memorial Hospital from 1959 until the established date of the AAFH. The objective of this hospital is to provide services for those suffering from early childbirth illnesses and related injuries, rehabilitating them to the point where they can be integrated back in to their society in a dignifying manner, while helping them to take care on themselves.

SOURCE : African Union Commission (AUC)

The 33rd edition of the Paris Marathon took place Sunday from the Avenue des Champs Elysees. The winner of the 42km run was 21-year-old Kenyan Vincent Kipruto, who came in at a record-breaking 2 hours, 5 minutes, 44 seconds.

The previous record holder for the Paris marathon was another Kenyan, Mike Rotitch, who completed the 2003 marathon in 2 hours, 6 minutes, 33 seconds.

On the women’s side, Ethiopian Atsede Bayisa finished ahead with a time of 2h 24 min 41 sec. Frenchwoman Christelle Daunay came in third in the women’s division, at 2 h 45 min 42 sec.

Marathon de Paris, April 5

THE virtually unknown Vincent Kipruto took an important victory at the Paris Marathon, as he broke away from the Ethiopian debutant Bado Worku just before the 40km point, in a race which produced tremendous depth as six athletes dipped under the 2:07-barrier and eleven under the 2:09-barrier.

Similarly to previous editions of the race, the opening 10km is always fast and today was no exception as a group of approximately 20 athletes braved an opening split of 29:51 and to many people’s surprise, the large phalanx of predominantly East African athletes were still bunched together through halfway in 62:44, which was on schedule for something easily inside the course record of 2:06:33.

After the pacemaker Henry Sugut dropped out at the 30km point, having done a commendable job, the pace slowed in the next kilometre, until Kipruto moved to the front and in the space of two kilometres, the leading group had splintered through 35km (1:44:58), and only seven athletes were in contention for the title and the winning prize of 50,000 euros.

At the 38km point, Kipruto began to markedly accelerate in a similar fashion to last year’s winner Tsegaye Kebede and the 21-year-old, who was only running in his second marathon, set a massive PB of 2:05:47, which improved his debut performance of 2:08:16 when he was third in Reims last October.

Worku, only 20, could not add the Paris Marathon crown to his Paris half-marathon victory but his debut of 2:06:15 was highly laudable.

David Kiyeng, a two-time winner of the Reims Marathon was third in a PB of 2:06:26, whilst the two big improvers were Ethiopia’s Yemane Adhane and Morocco’s Rashid Kisri in fourth and fifth. Adhane, running his fourth marathon in just over five months lowered his PB from 2:10:48 to 2:06:30, whilst Kisri lowered his PB from 2:10:33 to 2:06:48.

David Mandago, second in Chicago last October was sixth in 2:06:53.

In the women’s race, Atsede Bayisa shattered her lifetime best of 2:29:08 by some margin. The 21-year-old pulled away in the final 2km from her compatriot and the pre-race favourite Aselefech Mergia to clock a winning time of 2:24:42, whilst Mergia, the silver medallist from the World Half Marathon Championships made a solid debut (2:25:02.)

There was also a big improvement from the Frenchwoman Christelle Daunay, who improved her national record from 2:28:24 to 2:25:43, courtesy of very even halfway splits of 72:48 and 72:55.

All-time marathon lists
1. Haile Gebrselassie (ETH) – 2:03:59 – Berlin 2008
2. Duncan Kibet (KEN) – 2:04:27 – Rotterdam 2009
= James Kwambai (KEN) – 2:04:27 – Rotterdam 2009
4. Paul Tergat (KEN) – 2:04:55 – Berlin 2003
5. Sammy Korir (KEN) – 2:04:56 – Berlin 2003
6. Abel Kirui (KEN) – 2:05:04 – Rotterdam 2009
7. Martin Lel (KEN) – 2:05:15 – London 2008
8. Sammy Wanjiru (KEN) – 2:05:24 – London 2008
9. Abderrahim Goumri (MAR) – 2:05:30 – London 2008
10. Khalid Khannouchi (USA) – 2:05:38 – London 2002
11. Wilson Kipruto (KEN) – 2:05:47 – Paris 2009
12. William Kipsang (KEN) – 2:05:49 – Rotterdam 2008

Best times for places list
1st – Haile Gebrselassie (ETH) – 2:03:59 – Berlin 2008
2nd – Duncan Kibet (KEN) – 2:04:27 – Rotterdam 2009
3rd – Abel Kirui (KEN) – 2:05:04 – Rotterdam 2009
4th – Patrick Makau (KEN) – 2:06:10 – Rotterdam 2009
5th – Ryan Hall (USA) – 2:06:17 – London 2008
6th – Deriba Merga (ETH) – 2:06:38 – London 2008
7th – Jonathan Kipkorir (KEN) – 2:07:31 – Paris 2009
8th – Shadrack Kiplagat (KEN) – 2:08:11 – Paris 2009
9th – John Kipkorir Komen (KEN) – 2:08:12 – Paris 2009
10th – Daniel Kiptoo (KEN) – 2:08:38 – Paris 2009
11th – Abraham Chelanga (KEN) – 2:08:43 – Paris 2009
12th – Francis Kibiwott (KEN) – 2:09:13 – Paris 2009
13th – James Rotich (KEN) – 2:10:23 – Paris 2008
14th – James Theuri (FRA) – 2:10:39 – Paris 2009
15th – Mikhail Lemaev (RUS) – 2:10:41 – Paris 2009
16th – Deriba Deme (ETH) – 2:10:50 – Paris 2009
17th – Philemon Baaru (KEN) – 2:11:05 – Paris 2009

By Leslie Scrivener | Toronto Star

When the writer is Camilla Gibb and the subject is an Ethiopian doctor who inspired the character with “butter-soft dark skin and bright teeth” in her bestseller, the outcome might be the education of a generation of medical students

Here is the fiction:

“He was different, this man, this Dr. Aziz. He made me feel different: stirred, compelled, vaguely anxious.” With this, Gibb, in her novel Sweetness in the Belly, introduces the erudite and idealistic Dr. Aziz Abdulnasser.

Aziz falls in love with Lilly, a white Muslim woman who lives in the gorgeous decrepitude of Harar, the ancient walled city in Ethiopia. As their love deepens, they are caught in the 1974 overthrow of Emperor Haile Selassie. Aziz disappears and Lilly flees to London, where she becomes a nurse, lives with Ethiopian refugees, and pines for the handsome doctor.

Here is the reality:

Gibb, who has roots in London and Toronto, did live in Harar in 1994 and 1995, researching her PhD dissertation on religious practices in Islam. Troubled by an intestinal disorder, she paid one birr (about 14 cents) to be treated at the local hospital.

While there, Gibb, then 25, met a tall, “über-educated,” English-speaking young doctor named Abdulaziz Sherif. They share books – Jane Austen, Dostoevsky – meet in berchas, Saturday gatherings where Ethiopians chew khat (a plant used as a stimulant) and discuss the issues of the day.

“There was a level of comprehension, a whole new level of conversation,” Gibb says. “I could be so much more myself.”

Gibb and Sherif have not publicly discussed their literary and real-life connection, and it’s taken an ambitious project to get them to break that silence. Citing a link between literature and medicine, and Ethiopia and Canada, they want to talk about an academic exchange between the University of Toronto and the University of Addis Ababa spurred in part by Gibb’s book.

It seemed natural to expand a collaboration that had been so effective in psychiatry. Under that program, in which University of Toronto academics volunteered to teach in Ethiopia for a month three times a year, the number of psychiatrists grew from nine to 34.

The new proposal would broaden the program to 10 disciplines, including medicine, nursing, pharmacy and library sciences.

“That would likely not have happened without (Gibb’s) book,” says Dr. Eugenia Piliotis, haematology program director at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre.

With 1,800 doctors and perhaps 200 specialists for a population of 80 million, Ethiopia has the highest brain drain of doctors in Africa. According to a report by Dr. Clare Pain, a Mount Sinai psychiatrist, some 80 per cent of Ethiopian doctors trained abroad don’t return.

It was Gibb, now 41, who suggested that Pain – who had launched the successful U of T supplemental training program for residents in psychiatry at Addis Ababa University in 2003 – meet Sherif and “start a conversation.”

Sherif himself underscores the need for an academic exchange. Though he is one of Ethiopia’s two haematologists (Toronto has about 70), he has had no formal training in the field. “Perhaps my biggest exposure is the time I’ve spent here.”

Which brings us back to the crossroads of fiction and reality. The two recently met for the first time in 15 years in Toronto, where Sherif is a visiting observer in haematology at Sunnybrook.

Gibb is now a celebrated author. Sweetness in the Belly has been translated into eight languages, won the Trillium Book Award and was a finalist for the Giller Prize. Sherif is an assistant professor at Addis Ababa University and will return to Ethiopia this month. His deeply rooted reserve remains. “Some may not even know I am in the room,” he says.

What happens, we wondered, when someone unaccustomed to public attention finds himself not only a character but also a love interest in a novel? “I saw myself in part of it, yes, but I am kind of shy and low profile and not as outspoken as that guy,” Sherif says. “But compassion, and so on, I think I am kind of like that.”

Now 38, he has close-cropped hair, a moustache and the smooth skin and white teeth of his fictional counterpart. Physical resemblance aside, “This is a fiction,” he says. “Somebody should talk about the character in the book, not me.”

Gibb steps in: “People make the assumption that I’m Lilly. They completely conflate the characters to the extent that I have been at lunch with people who ask if I’m a nurse in London… It’s fiction that takes its inspiration from a real place and real people.”

One of the topics that Gibb and Sherif have never discussed is the fact that the novel includes a sex scene, nor has Sherif discussed his similarity to the Sweetness character with his wife. He doesn’t even know if she has read the book.

As for being asked if the friends ever had a more intimate relationship, the question simply wouldn’t come up in Ethiopia, says Sherif.

“Our community in Harar is very closed and everybody knows everybody,” he explains. “The book has not circulated in the country, so I didn’t have to make explanations.”

A hit song in Israel, Mi’Maamakim (Hebrew for “Out of the Depths”), begins to the tune of Nanu Nanu Ney, a traditional Ethiopian folk song. Watch the video below.