NYC Marathon: ‘Only God knows when we can meet,’ says marathon runner Gotytom Gebreslase, cut off from her parents amid conflict in Ethiopia




CNN

It’s been almost a year since marathon runner Gotytom Gebreslase last spoke to her parents on the phone, a detachment she feels most strongly during races.

Gebreslase usually spoke with her family before and after her competition, but a phone and internet outage at her home in Ethiopia made it impossible to do so at this year’s World Championships in Athletics.

It meant that as she crossed the finish line to clinch victory in the marathon – raising her arms in the air, then dropping to her knees as relief and elation poured from her body – the 27-year-old years old was gripped by conflicting emotions.

“I wish I could have enjoyed my happiness with them,” she told CNN Sport. “It would have been a second joy for me.”

That run in Eugene, Oregon was the biggest achievement of Gebreslase’s running career to date – her first world championship title and a personal marathon best of two hours, 18 minutes and 11 seconds.

But for all the happiness she felt during her performance, she couldn’t help but think of her parents, caught in the midst of military hostilities near their home in northern Ethiopia.

The long internet and phone blackout in the Tigray region, set up by the Ethiopian government amid fighting between the government and Tigray forces, means that Gebreslase’s contact with his parents is sporadic and infrequent.

“Only God knows when we can meet,” she says. “My wish is to meet them soon – that would make me happy.”

However, the Ethiopian government and the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) have agreed to permanently cease hostilities – an important step towards ending a war that has left thousands dead, millions displaced and millions others who are in urgent need of food aid.

The two sides said Wednesday evening that they would “permanently silence the guns and end the two-year conflict in northern Ethiopia” in a joint statement released after delegates shook hands.

Some reassurance about her parents’ safety came after Gebreslase’s victory at the world championships in July, when she came across a television report featuring an interview with her mother.

In the report, Gebreslase’s mother says she cried after watching her daughter’s post-race interview. She adds that the couple only communicate via recorded voice messages and that she hopes for peace in order to see her children again soon.

“When I saw that video, it really calmed me down,” says Gebreslase, who looked up to his mother as a role model growing up.

“When you see something like that, hearing them support me, it helps calm you down because it’s encouraging – the fact that I saw them and didn’t know what kind of situation they were in.”

Gebreslase lives and trains in the Ethiopian capital of Addis Ababa, where his sister is a constant source of support for his racing career.

“She’s a friend and a sister, she does a lot for me,” she says. “She helps me not to think about the fact that my parents are not next to me – it has been a great encouragement.”

On Sunday, Gebreslase will compete in the New York Marathon, his fourth major marathon in two years after claiming victory in Berlin last year.

The high-quality women’s field includes Israel’s Lonah Chemtai Salpeter, who finished third behind Gebreslase at the world championships, as well as the Kenyan duo of Peres Jepchirchir, last year’s Olympic champions, and Hellen Obiri, the two-time gold medalist. silver making her marathon debut.

It is Gebreslase, however, who enters the race as the highest-ranked runner in the world over 26.2 miles.

“The result I got at the world championships boosted my confidence,” she says. “It made me want to train more to get better results. [and] it changed my way of thinking.

Gebreslase is hoping for a second major win at this year's NYC Marathon.

Ethiopia has a long history of producing some of the best distance runners in the world, dating back to barefoot Abebe Bikila winning gold in the men’s marathon at the Rome Olympics in 1960.

Culminating at 2,355 meters, Addis Ababa is one of the highest capitals in the world; its elevation, along with the wooded trails that surround the town, make it an ideal location to produce the best endurance athletes in the world.

The Ethiopians have had success in major marathon races this year, with Yalemzerf Yehualaw winning in London last month – even after tripping and falling six miles from the finish – and Tigist Assefa clocking fourth fastest woman of all time by claiming victory in Berlin in September. .

On the men’s side, Tamirat Tola won the world championship title alongside Gebreslase to complete an Ethiopian double in Eugene.

New York’s tough and hilly course means fast times are almost certainly out of the question on Sunday, but a victory in a competitive field would cement Gebreslase’s status at the top of the sport.

According to her mother, Gebreslase first took up athletics at school, where she was ridiculed for wearing shorts and was often told the sport was only for boys.

But with the unwavering support of her family, she persevered.

“When I started running, [my parents] didn’t discourage me, they encouraged me – especially my mother,” says Gebreslase.

“She is very strong and loves sports. She was my mother and my coach at times, helping me get to this point.

The thought of her parents will spur her on during this weekend’s race – a chance to thank them for all they have invested in her racing career.

“Because they had such an influence on me,” says Gebreslase, “I always want to make them proud.”

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