TWO ambitious Limerick women ran Africa’s longest road race, the Great Ethiopian Run.
Suzi McMahon and Charlotte Nestor joined 50,000 other runners in Addis Ababa earlier this month to take on the run, aiming to raise money for Orbis Ireland, a charity that helps to prevent blindness and sight loss in some of the world’s poorest countries.
The Limerick ladies were raising money for vital eye-saving treatment in Ethiopia.
Ms McMahon and Ms Nestor made the most of the weekend before the race took place on Sunday November 17, attending the pre-race Pasta Party, an iconic gathering for international participants.
They also met Ethiopian legend Haile Gebrselassie — an Olympic gold medalist, four-time World Champion, and a celebrated figure in long-distance running.
In total, 48 Irish runners took part in the Great Ethiopian Run to support Orbis Ireland’s mission.
Since 2008, the charity have brought overt 500 participants to Addis Ababa to take part in the race and to visit life-saving eye care projects in southern Ethiopia. Together, they have raised over €1,000,000 for the sight-saving work in Ethiopia.
Each participant raised €4,500 for Orbis Ireland before embarking on the trip, on target to raise €100,000 for the charity.
Orbis Ireland is part of Orbis International, a non-profit global development organisation working to eliminate avoidable blindness in the world’s most poverty-stricken regions.
This is achieved by teaching sight-saving skills to thousands of eye care professionals on board the Orbis Flying Eye Hospital and in local hospitals, who then pass on their expertise to others.
