More
About Run For Oromia.
Oliqaa Foundation is proud to
sponsor the first, "Run
for Oromia" (RFO) competition.
This race is being held to honor
past Oromian athletic heroes,
to recognize rising stars that
are dominating world competitions,
and to thank Minnesota for hosting
many Oromos
whom, over the years, have settled
here to flee persecution in
Ethiopia. Run For Oromia will
for the first time make that
overdue connection between athleticism
and Oromia.
Today, Oromo children have to
travel 5-8 miles every day to
go to school and in order to
make time, they run. Without
a doubt, running such distances
on a daily basis also helps
to explain their dominance in
long distance races, however,
no child should have to endure
such hardship just to attend
school. The proceeds from this
event will help build schools
and clinics in Oromia and create
avenues for Oromos to continue
the legacy of champion long
distance racing.
Have you
ever wondered why the most elite
long distance runners all seem
to come from the same area of
the world? Researchers and physiologists
have spent years studying this
marvel and formulated several
postulates to explain the phenomenon.
An article published in Applied
Physiology, Nutrition and Metabolism,
which was also featured in the
November 2006 issue of Runner’s
World magazine, illustrated
by comparative study, what has
become the most accepted explanation;
the “skinny calf” theory. According
to the article, running economy,
or the volume of oxygen required
for an individual to run at
sub maximal speed (EIS 2007),
is a greater Factor in long
distance running than higher
aerobic capacity. How does this
fit into the “skinny calf” theory
and the superiority of East
African runners? Well, less
muscle mass below the knee,
where most of the running motion
occurs, translates into a better
running economy (Lucia et al.
2006).
The Horn of
Africa has produced countless
paramount long distance runners,
many of whom are from Oromia.
The Oromo people, estimated
at 40 million, constitute 40-50
percent of the Ethiopian population,
and are one of the largest ethno
national groups in the whole
of Africa. Afaan Oromo, the
Oromo language, is the 3rd widely
spoken language in Africa after
Hausa and Arabic. Some of the
most famous names include Abebe
Bikila, an Oromian athlete,
who was not only the first African
to win an Olympic gold medal,
but also the only athlete in
history who won the Olympic
marathon twice. Representing
women’s long distance finest,
Derartu Tulu, was the first
Black female athlete to win
the 10K gold medal. Another
female Oromian , Fatuma Roba,
was the first African female
athlete to win the Olympic marathon.
Today, amazing athletes like
Kenenisa Bekele, Tirunesh Dibaba,
Messeret Defar and Gezahagne
Aberra, like their predecessors,
are shining in world athletic
competitions and shattering
world records. These rising
stars came in the wake of other
great Oromo pioneer athletes
like Maammo Wolde, Waami Birratu,
Eshetu Tura, Mohammed Kedir,
Wodajo Bulti, Gete Wami and
many others.
Are these
names new to the runner enthusiast’s
lexicon? Absolutely not. But
what is, perhaps, is the correlation
between their athletic brilliance
and Oromia, their true ethno
national identity. Still even
today, these elite runners have
competed and won races under
the more common title and flag
of Ethiopia, a nation where
their basic human rights, as
Oromos, are non-existent. By
participating in this race you
will be helping fellow runners,
communities and children in
an area of the world that has
been neglected far too long.
It is time for Oromia
be recognized as the homeland
of great athletes. Please join
us!
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A special thanks to our sponsors!
