There was something very special about screening Town Of Runners at the Barcelona Sports Film Festival. The festival took place in the Museo Olympico, right next to the stadium where Bekoji won its first Olympic medal thirty years ago. When Derartu Tulu won the Women’s 10,000m at the Barcelona Olympics in 1992, she became the first sub-Saharan African woman to win an Olympic gold, and inspired a generation of athletes from her small rural home town.
It was Derartu’s win in Barcelona that convinced Coach Sentayehu – her school trainer – that he could develop many more world-class runners from Bekoji. Without Barcelona, perhaps there would be no Town Of Runners.
So it was especially satistfying that the film won the Award for Best Feature at the Festival.
JERRY ROTHWELL 