GOAL USA, an affiliate of the international aid organization founded in Ireland in 1977, has announced its team for the 10-kilometer Great Ethiopian Run, which will be hosted in Addis Ababa on Sunday, November 23.
GOAL USA's group of 15 runners is aiming to complete the run while also raising at least $300,000 to support the organization’s programs worldwide.
The Great Ethiopian Run was founded in 2001 by Ethiopian running legend Haile Gebrselassie and attracts some 40,000 runners from around the world each year. Known for its vibrant atmosphere, the Great Ethiopian Run has been called 'Ethiopia's biggest street party' and was named 'The World's Best 10k' by Runner's World Magazine.
This year, GOAL USA is proud to join the ranks of participants marking the Run’s 25th anniversary. Each member of the GOAL USA team pledges to raise at least $10,000.
Members of the GOAL USA team will travel to Ethiopia five days before the 10k. During that time, the team members will visit communities that GOAL works with in and around Addis Ababa and in the regions of Tigray and Gambella, meeting people their efforts will impact.
The GOAL USA team is led by two Irish running legends: 1976 and 1980 Olympian Eamonn Coghlan, the former world champion at 5,000 meters and one-time indoor mile record holder; and David Gillick, 2008 Olympian, two-time European 400-meter champion, and renowned sports commentator and personality.
They are joined by GOAL USA Board members and tech founders Ronan Ryan, co-founder and COO of IEX, and Conor Twomey, CEO and co-founder of AI One.
Twomey will not be making the trip this year, but he is raising funds, mentoring runners, and will run the 10k concurrently in the US.
Rounding out the team will be 13 more GOAL supporters from various backgrounds and across the US.
GOAL USA 2024 Great Ethiopian Run Team in Addis Ababa.
Last year, GOAL’s team brought 10 runners to Addis Ababa, raising nearly $200,000, which supported the organization’s work in Ethiopia and beyond.
2024 GOAL USA Team visit to ChildSPACE in Addis Ababa.
Coghlan said: “The Great Ethiopian Run is a tribute to the Ethiopian spirit and to the country’s great running culture, personified by my friend Haile.
"GOAL’s role as a leading first responder and development partner over four decades there is powered by hundreds of Ethiopian staff members, who make up 99% of the GOAL team. So, it’s only natural that GOAL should join the Run and use it as an opportunity to do even more good.
"I couldn’t be prouder to be a part of it.”
Haile Gebrselassie and Eamonn Coghlan. (GOAL USA)
Gillick remarked: “Eamonn and I have obviously taken part in some of the world’s greatest festivals of sport. The Great Ethiopian Run qualifies as one in its own right.
"We’re excited to lead GOAL’s team, to experience Ethiopia, and most importantly, to meet the people GOAL serves.”
David Gillick. (GOAL USA)
GOAL USA Executive Director Eamon Sharkey added, “We’ve gathered a remarkable team this year. And we continue to welcome support in any amount as this is our largest single annual fundraising campaign.
"Whether you want to support us or join us, you can do so at GOALUS.org/GreatRun."
What is GOAL?
GOAL USA is an affiliate of GOAL, the international aid organization founded in Ireland in 1977. Since then, GOAL has responded to almost all of the world’s major humanitarian crises, working with vulnerable communities in more than 60 countries.
While GOAL continues to be an agile first responder to humanitarian crises, it is also committed to working with vulnerable communities to help them survive crises and support them on the road to recovery. GOAL’s purpose is to save lives and empower communities to develop resilience and greater control over their lives and livelihoods. GOAL aims to increase the resilience of people and communities, focusing on those who are excluded or marginalized, particularly those who are vulnerable due to socio-economic status, gender or age.
Today, GOAL’s 2,500 staff are working in 13 countries, reaching more than 12 million people last year
GOAL has been operational in Ethiopia since the early 1980s. Currently, GOAL is working across 60 districts in eight regions and two city administrations: Afar, Amhara, Benishangul Gumuz, Gambella, Oromia, Somali, South Ethiopia, Tigray, Addis Ababa, and Hawassa.
In 2023/24, GOAL's operations were supported by an annual budget of $30 million, enabling significant investments in the capacity of over 700 Ethiopian staff, with women making up more than 40% of our workforce.
GOAL's programs address critical sectors, including Nutrition, Health, WASH (Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene), Livelihoods and Food Security, Safeguarding, Gender and Social Inclusion, Protection, and Emergency Shelter and Non-Food Items (NFIs).
GOAL prioritizes the most vulnerable communities, particularly those impacted by drought, conflict, displacement, disease outbreaks, flooding, and earthquakes.
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