Rivendell MD, Mandy Takes On The Great Ethiopian Run 2017 – Raising Over £1,200!
January 12, 2018 1:17 pm
Whilst most of us slowed down as December approached, patiently waiting for the Christmas break, there was no rest for our MD, Mandy Risso.
Just one year on from taking on the New York Marathon (and just 3 years on from putting on a pair of running shoes!), Mandy was back at it again, this time taking on the Great Ethiopian Run 2017 on the 18th November; a gruelling 10k course in high temperatures and altitude.
Through her efforts, Mandy raised just over £1,200, smashing her original target of £1,000! Find out more about the run and the causes Mandy supported through her fundraising in our latest blog post.
The Run
Since its inception in 2001, the Great Ethiopian Run has staged over 100 races in different parts of the country. There were a total of 44,000 runners this year, 43,500 of which were Ethiopians; making the run Africa’s largest running event!
The run takes place in the capital city of Ethiopia, Addis Ababa which is set almost 2,500 metres above sea level. At a distance of 10k, The Great Ethiopian Run wasn’t half as long as the New York marathon, but with such high altitudes and 25c heat, it was equally as challenging.
Mandy finished the race in 3 hours, a personal best for her in the Great Ethiopian Run (not her personal best for 10k!). Fortunately, in addition to the single busy water stop, there was a beer point – a pint well-earned we say!
The Charity
The money raised by Mandy went towards two enormous suitcases that she took to Ethiopia with her, these suitcases were filled with baby clothes, towels, sewing kits and other vital supplies to support pregnant women who were not getting access to the medical support they needed.
Whilst out in Addis Ababa, Mandy had the opportunity to meet some of the people that were being supported by her fundraising.
Additional funds raised went directly to support the work of For-Ethiopia, a Bristol-based charity run by Mandy’s next door neighbour, they work to relieve poverty and sickness, whilst protecting health and advancing education for the people of Ethiopia. 8 other runners joined Mandy on behalf of the charity, raising thousands between them.
This year, For-Ethiopia’s focus was on maternity services and the care of newborn children. They run a hostel that supports young women through secondary education, with a sewing workshop that allows women to gain skills to help them earn a living.
Thank You!
We would like you thank everyone who supported Mandy’s fundraising this year, these funds are absolutely vital in making positive changes to the lives of people less privileged. Not forgetting a huge congratulations to Ms. Risso – here’s to the next race, it could be scaling Mt. Everest at this rate?!
Categorised in: Rivendell News
This post was written by Binks
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