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After the 50 athletes - 29 women and 21 men - completed a 40-minute, well synchronised warm-up session, they embarked on almost an hour of a classic interval training punctuated with numerous sub-55, 400 metres splits, even after the distance running stars had laboured through an hour of the splits under the watchful eyes of a team of dedicated coaches including the 2006 IAAF World Coach of the Year, Woldemeskel Kostre.
"Discipline," Woldemeskel said between the sessions. "Discipline is the most important aspect of Ethiopian athletics and everything here is taken seriously," he adds, moments after an official of the Ethiopian Athletics Federation tells visiting journalists that they are not allowed to film or take pictures of the training session and orders them to keep clear of the training area.
"Discipline," Woldemeskel said between the sessions. "Discipline is the most important aspect of Ethiopian athletics and everything here is taken seriously," he adds, moments after an official of the Ethiopian Athletics Federation tells visiting journalists that they are not allowed to film or take pictures of the training session and orders them to keep clear of the training area.
So strict is the Ethiopian system that no athlete is allowed to train abroad and when invited for races, athletes are given a maximum of 30 days to stay away for competition.
"All these athletes are employed by clubs, including those run by the military and police here and so there is no point of them staying away for too long. They are paid by these clubs who are their permanent employers and so they have no reason to stay away long," the coach added.
"All these athletes are employed by clubs, including those run by the military and police here and so there is no point of them staying away for too long. They are paid by these clubs who are their permanent employers and so they have no reason to stay away long," the coach added.
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