Girls Gotta Run

TOWN OF RUNNERS, the newest documentary from Director Jerry Rothwell, screened April 19th, 21st, 28th and 29th at the Tribeca Film Festival in New York City. The film will be screening in multiple locations throughout the world in the coming months. For more information on a screening location near you visit the The Town of Runner's Film Screening Webpage.

The film makers have worked closely with GGRF partners, Running Across Borders and The Tesfa Foundation, to expand athletics and education projects with Bekoji's Youth Office, and expand the Visit and Train exchange programme to Bekoji. Visit and Train enables runners from around the world go to train at camps around East Africa, and uses these visits to fuel development. It's a self-sustaining project, Town of Runners is working to establish the funding to get it started and to get the UK running community excited about Bekoji.

GGRF is proud to work with the Town of Runners film makers to bring awareness to the issues facing women runners in Ethiopia and develop sustainable strategies for overcoming these challenges. 

Film Synopsis: Over the past two decades the small, rural Ethiopian town of Bekoji has been the unlikely home to numerous Olympic champion long-distance runners, whose athletic success has paved the way for a generation of young Ethiopians searching for a better future. With a keen artistic eye, TFF award winner Jerry Rothwell (Donor Unknown) follows two teenage track hopefuls who face the challenge of growing up and striving for greatness in a developing nation.

Visit the Simien Girl Runners and Run the 10K Great Ethiopian Run

November 11th-15th 2012

Trek through the Simien Mountains, train with the Simien Mountain Girls Team, participate in Ethiopia's largest running competition and see the impact of GGRF's work first hand! View the full trip itinerary HERE. 

Over 100 people crammed the Georgetown Running Company's Chevy Chase store on Willard Avenue on Monday evening, November 8, 2010, hoping against hope that legendary runner Haile Gebrselassie would show up as he had been scheduled to do. Max Lockwood welcomed everyone and talked a little about the legendary runner who had unfortunately suffered a debilitating knee injury which made him unable to complete the New York Marathon the day before. Max also talked about his and the store's staff's desire to support both local Ethiopian runners and Girls Gotta Run. He then introduced Pat Ortman, Executive Director and Chair of the GGRF Board, who spoke about the founding and mission of GGRF and introduced members of the Board and Advisory Board in attendance.

Advisory Board member Kebe Tesfaye talked about the difficulties of being a girl in Ethiopia and how GGRF helps ameliorate some of them for the girls on their teams. Gaby Grebski, who has visited the teams twice, spoke about her experiences with them in Ethiopia and talked more about each of the teams. She was followed by Board member and marathoner Ashley Griffith, who spoke passionately about ways in which people could help GGRF, and Advisory Board member Dr. Charles Teller, who talked about his holiday visit and meal with the Simien Girl Runners and what he and his team learned from and about the girls on that visit. Advisory Board member Matt Andrea added a few words re-emphasizing the importance of GGRF's mission and that of other charitable organizations operating within and for Ethiopia. Audience members asked several great questions, including some about GGRF operations, such as how partners and team members are chosen and how levels of support are determined. Pat and Max then thanked everyone once again for turning out for the event.

Although Mr. Gebrselassie did not make it — and it was later learned that in fact he had returned to Ethiopia on the same day as the marathon due to his injury — the crowd, composed mainly of Washington, D.C. runners and members of the local Ethiopian community (though disappointed in that) enthusiastically assured the organizers that the event had been successful. Many declared their intent to become GGRF supporters. Thank you again from GGRF to all who attended and especially to Max Lockwood and the staff of the Chevy Chase Running Company.

Happy hour at Lounge of Three. October 8,2010 5:30 -8:30. Sponsored by Young Ethiopians.

On Friday, November 15, 2009, the Washington International School's Middle School Girls on Track Team held a very successful bake sale to benefit Girls Gotta Run. In the first photo, Clayton Lewis, the head of the school, is buying a cookie.

A good time was had by all! Julia and Marian, from my Curves club, participated. GGRF Board members Amanda and Erin attended, Amanda personning a Perfect Organics table and offering fabulous hand treatments. A few of the local Ethiopian elite runners stopped by, including Hirut and Yonas, so both Amanda and Erin got to meet them. The food and wine were scrumptious. In short, Sheena Dahlke and her colleagues from Georgetown Running Company did a great job.

The beautiful and beautifully decorated Jackson home in Great Falls, Va., even smelled like Christmas when guests walked in the door on the afternoon of Saturday, December 13. They were greeted by Judy and Kelly, dropped donation envelopes for GGRF in the white ceramic sled on the table by the door, and moved into the diningroom to partake of the fabulous holiday buffet. After eating their fill they went downstairs to the spacious and comfortable party headquarters, graciously presided over by Bob, where they had desert and drinks. About 2:30 Judy thanked everyone for coming and Jim and Pat talked briefly about the Foundation and the teams, after which Lauren, Judy and Bob's daughter-in-law, played her guitar and sang. Guests also perused a sampling of GGRF art and merchandise. The afternoon was capped off by a surprise birthday cake Jim bought for Pam and Judy, whose birthdays are the 13th and the 11th respectively, and everyone sang happy birthday to us. The event was declared a big success in terms of the fun quotient. And it also raised a lot of money. Judy, Bob and Kelly are now official GGRF "rainmakers."