Cheered on by thousands of spectators on a cloudy Sunday 35,000 runners including the world’s top athletes started the men’s elite race in the world’s largest fundraising marathon event, the London Marathon 2010.

From the beginning of the race the men’s field kept a high speed with a group of  twelve front runners from Eritrea, Ethiopia and Kenya leading the masses. Abel Kirui from Kenya and Ethiopian Tsegaye Kebede lead the men’s race for a long time until Kebede increased his pace to leave Kirui behind.

Kebede who finished last year’s London Marathon second place is the third Ethiopian to win the London Marathon at 02:05:18. Second place goes to Emmanuel Kipchirchir Mutai from Kenya with a minute away of Kebede and third place goes Jaouaed Gharib of Morocco.

Having finished first at this year’ s Lisbon Half Marathon, Zersenay Tadese was not able to repeat his outstanding performance from Lisbon.

Gulfstream

London Marathon organizers fear that flight restrictions over Europe could hinder African star athletes to participate in this year’s Virgin London Marathon event scheduled to start in five days.

Race organisers have arranged a private plane to pick up athletes from Africa and fly them to London via Djibouti and Spain.

The move followed air travel restrictions over much of Europe due to volcanic ash after last week’s eruption in Iceland, increasing the risk that elite overseas runners would not be able to compete in Sunday’s race.

The specially arranged flight will first fly to Nairobi to pick up Kenyan athletes and then make a stopover in Djibouti to collect athletes from Eritrea and Ethiopia, according to an official from Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi.

A Gulfstream jet from Egypt is supposed to fly today the routing Egypt-Kenya-Djibouti-Spain. Another jet is awaiting the athletes in Spain to bring them to London.

Iyassu Yohannes

Every time Iyassu Yohannes finds out about a public marathon or running event, he puts on his sneakers to run for the Eritrean people in need.

Iyassu is not a professional runner such as Zersenay Tadesse or Filmon Ghirmai, but he has a strong determination to run for Eritrea every time he can.

This is his way of drawing our attention to the fact that there are many people in Eritrea who need our help and support. The funds he tries to collect during such sporting events go to the charity Eritrean Relief Association (ERA) in the United Kingdom.

ERA works in partnership with NGOs, associations, self-help groups and Government departments in Eritrea with the aim to support Eritreans in need back home. The charity carries its own economical risk and maintains an independent stand from political, economic, religious or cultural afflictions

The main focus of ERA lies on the needs of malnourished children whose mothers have been diagnosed HIV positive or with full blown AIDS.

The funds ERA raised last year during the London Marathon have been used to buy 900 kilograms of baby milk powder, which were sent via air cargo to Eritrea.

Additionally, ERA is collecting and packaging shipments of books, computers, faxes, printers and scanners to Eritrea, which manly are donated by libraries, educational institutions and individuals.

Although it might be tougher to find people willing to contribute to charities this year, Iyassu is not missing on the starting line of this year’s British 10.000 metre London Marathon on 12 July 2009. Amongst 20.000 other runners, he is once again ready to run for a good cause. This, although people around him often do not notice that he is running to help others in need.

When asked, what drives him to put all this effort and time into trying to help others, Iyassu says, “You know, I love my people and try to move things for them, even if it is little. During last year’s race I was very honoured to meet Zersenay Tadesse and take a picture with him before the race, such moments are the best rewards you can get in life”.

For his collecting venture 2009, Iyassu has put up a donation countdown and fund raising site at Iyassu Yohanne’s Fundraising Page with Justgiving.

He is aiming to collect £600 ($980) – so far he has reached £140 ($229). With the countdown running until the start of the London Marathon on the 12th of July, he would be happy even if he would raise only half the amount.

Iyassu Yohannes is already now thinking of where his next running venture should take place. Even if it would be some small local competition in the Scottish Highlands – he would turn up.