Great Ethiopian Run sets to organize relay race in Addis Ababa with International First Highway

International First Highway, a renowned Chinese company has joined hand with the Great Ethiopian Run to organize a six kilometres relay race in Ethiopia’s capital, Addis Ababa this month.

International First Highway has ventured into a partnership with Great Ethiopian Run, which is already a popular road-running event in Ethiopia. The race is expected to attract thousands of participants, featuring various other activities that aimed to create awareness on road traffic safety, International First Highway officials revealed on May 6 while announcing the partnership with Great Ethiopian Run.

"Through this athletics event, the IFH wants to create awareness among Ethiopians about its commitment about road traffic safety in the country," International First Highway's Communications Department Manager Zhang Cuoliang told Xinhua. "Already IFH International First Highway has donated road construction equipment and traffic safety clothes to traffic police and conducted classes to primary students on the need to obey traffic rules," Zhang added.

Great Ethiopian Run annually organizes Africa's largest road race in the streets of Ethiopia’s capital, Addis Ababa, in which the latest 2018 edition of the race witnessed more than 47,500 participants. Ethiopian government officials, representatives from private firms and non-governmental organizations, staff members of Chinese firms, and professional athletes are expected to participate in the 2019 relay race, according to the organizers.

The annual relay race has been held since 2003 in Addis Ababa on the backdrop of the United Nations Global Road Safety Week, which is annually commemorated worldwide from May 6 to 12. This year's UN Global Road Safety Week, which kicked off on Monday under the theme "Leadership for Road Safety," acknowledged that "stronger leadership is needed to advance road safety in countries and communities worldwide," according to the UN Economic Commission for Africa, as reported by Xinhua.

International First Highway, a subsidiary of China Communication Construction Company, has been engaged in more than 30 projects in the construction of roads, bridges, and other civil engineering projects in Ethiopia since its establishment in 1998.

Also Read: NewAge discovers 1.6 trillion cubic feet of gas reserve in Ethiopia