Ethiopia is turning to mass-participation sport to strengthen public engagement and raise its international profile ahead of hosting the 32nd United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP32) in Addis Ababa in November 2027, following a cooperation agreement between the Ministry of Youth and Sport and the Great Ethiopian Run.
The memorandum of understanding provides for the use of major running events to promote COP32, engage communities and showcase the country’s sporting and tourism potential. The partnership brings together Ethiopia’s established distance-running reputation and its preparations for one of the most significant international climate diplomacy events scheduled for Africa.
The agreement will use the annual Great Ethiopian Run and the Discover Ethiopia Classics series as platforms for raising awareness of the climate conference. It also extends the country’s COP32 engagement beyond Addis Ababa by linking sporting activities with regional destinations, cultural heritage and tourism.
Founded in 2001 by Olympic champion Haile Gebrselassie, the Great Ethiopian Run has developed into one of Africa’s largest mass-participation road races. Its flagship 10km event is scheduled for 22 November 2026, with organisers expecting a record 60,000 participants. The event’s growing scale offers an established platform through which Ethiopia can reach domestic and international audiences ahead of COP32. The official race website confirms the November 22 date and Bank of America presenting partnership.
The timing gives the partnership an opportunity to connect the country’s sporting calendar with a wider international agenda. COP32 is scheduled to take place in Addis Ababa from 8 to 19 November 2027, bringing governments, climate negotiators, development institutions, businesses and civil society organisations together to discuss global climate policy. Ethiopia’s hosting role also places the country at the centre of preparations for an African-hosted climate summit, with expectations that the conference will provide a platform for the continent’s climate priorities.
The Discover Ethiopia Classics series provides a different route for extending that engagement. Established in 2021 by the Great Ethiopian Run in collaboration with the Ministry of Tourism, the programme combines road races with opportunities to experience Ethiopia’s cultural and natural attractions. Its 2026 programme covered six destinations: Debre Berhan, Hawassa, Jimma, Bekoji, Arba Minch and Harar.
By linking running events with tourism destinations, the series creates opportunities to promote places outside the capital and draw attention to the country’s varied landscapes and cultural heritage. The model could also support local businesses through visitor spending on accommodation, transport, food and other services. However, the scale of these economic benefits will depend on visitor numbers, local participation and the ability of destinations to accommodate increased activity.
The partnership also places youth development among its priorities. For the 2026 edition, organisers allocated 3,000 free entries to Grade 12 students and expanded the children’s races to accommodate up to 5,000 primary-school participants. The measures are intended to widen access to organised running and introduce younger generations to participation in the sport.
These programmes build on Ethiopia’s international reputation in long-distance athletics, where its athletes have achieved prominence in Olympic and global competitions. Expanding access at grassroots level could help strengthen the country’s sporting pipeline while making organised physical activity available to a wider section of the population. It also provides a channel for connecting national sporting achievements with opportunities for young people who may not otherwise have access to large-scale events.
Youth and Sport Minister Dr Akililu Tadesse said the agreement demonstrated how sport could connect national activities with Ethiopia’s international engagement, including preparations for COP32. He also highlighted its potential contribution to youth development, community participation and economic opportunities.
Great Ethiopian Run Chief Executive Officer Dagmawit Amare said the memorandum reflected a shared commitment to using sport as a platform for the country’s preparations for the climate summit. She added that the partnership recognised the broader role of sporting activities in supporting community participation and economic development.
The event is also entering a new phase of international sponsorship following a multi-year agreement with Bank of America, which became its presenting partner from 2026. The partnership covers the flagship 10km race and children’s events, with the bank also set to support the Women’s First 5km from 2027. Bank of America said the collaboration would help expand access to endurance sports and strengthen the event’s international profile.
The sponsorship adds an international corporate partner to an event that has become an important part of Ethiopia’s sporting calendar. Its involvement also reflects the growing interest of international businesses in the relationship between sport, community development and local economic activity. For the Great Ethiopian Run, the partnership could provide additional resources to expand participation and strengthen its youth programmes, although the financial terms of the agreement have not been disclosed.
The COP32 agreement gives these existing programmes a broader purpose by linking them to national preparations for an international climate event. Mass-participation races can provide a platform for communicating climate issues to audiences beyond the specialist policy and diplomatic communities that typically engage with climate negotiations. They can also create opportunities for local organisations, schools, businesses and tourism operators to participate in activities connected to the conference.
However, translating sporting visibility into meaningful climate engagement will require more than branding and awareness campaigns. The partnership’s contribution will depend on how climate themes are incorporated into events, how communities are involved and whether engagement continues beyond the race calendar. Opportunities could include public information activities, community-led environmental initiatives and collaboration with local organisations, although the memorandum’s specific programme of climate-related activities has not been detailed in the announcement.
The wider context is Ethiopia’s preparation to host COP32, which will require coordination across government institutions, international partners and local stakeholders. The country has appointed Foreign Minister Dr Gedion Timothewos as COP32 President-Designate to lead the preparatory process. The African Union has also recognised the importance of using the summit to advance continental climate priorities.
For Ethiopia, the challenge will be to ensure that the international attention generated by COP32 translates into broader public understanding of climate risks and the country’s development priorities. Sport offers a way to reach audiences through an established national institution, while the regional running series provides an avenue for extending participation beyond the capital.
The Great Ethiopian Run’s expanding youth programmes, international sponsorship and regional tourism activities give the agreement an existing platform on which to build. Its success as a COP32 engagement mechanism, however, will depend on the quality of collaboration between the organisers and public institutions, the relevance of the activities to communities and the extent to which the initiative produces sustained participation.
As the November 2026 race approaches, Ethiopia is positioning one of its most recognisable sporting events as part of a wider national effort to prepare for COP32. The partnership illustrates how sport can support international visibility, tourism and community engagement, while creating an opportunity to bring climate discussions closer to the public ahead of the 2027 summit.
