By : Tewodros Balcha
On Sunday June 28, 2026, thousands of runners filled the streets of Arba Minch. Yet the real story was not about finishing times, but about farming landscapes under stress.
The Safaricom Great Arba Minch Run carried the theme “Healthy Landscape for a Healthy Life” — shaped with GIZ to spotlight hillside degradation and recurring landslides in Gamo Zone. Ahead of race day, participants joined tree‑planting under Ethiopia’s Green Legacy Initiative and city‑wide clean‑up campaigns, turning the event into a live demonstration of how communities can mobilise around ecological issues that directly affect farming livelihoods.
For farmers in Gamo Zone, degraded soils and unstable slopes mean reduced yields and recurring risks. By anchoring the race theme to this local reality, organisers reframed athletics as a tool for climate resilience communication — linking healthy ecosystems with healthy communities and food security.
A highlight was the awarding of model farmers, recognised for their contributions to soil protection and sustainable land use. The awards were presented by Tourism State Minister Dr. Endegena Abebe and the Acting Director of GIZ Ethiopia, underscoring institutional commitment to farming resilience. Mayor Mesfin Menza and senior officials also attended, signalling support for an approach that ties conservation, farming stability, and economic development together.
The Arba Minch landscape itself reinforced the message: from the Dorze Highlands to Lake Chamo, biodiversity and farming coexist. Visitors joined hikes and cultural encounters under the Discover Ethiopia Classics programme, which pairs athletics with tourism and environmental experiences.
For race founder and Olympic champion Haile Gebrselassie, the philosophy is simple: athletics should generate dividends that outlast competition — including healthier soils, safer slopes, and stronger farming communities.
