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. Read the full story