Grand African Run

Step up to the starting line for the Grand African Run, a non-profit event where people from all walks of life come together for a 5K run and cultural experience rooted in connection and belonging. Families spanning generations, people of all ages, backgrounds, abilities, and life experiences create a vibrant sea of runners, joggers, and walkers united by matching-colored shirts. “All human beings in the same type of shirt…so you can’t tell who is old or young, rich or poor…I love that feeling of seeing a stream of people by the start line, because there’s a lot of hard work that goes into this event,” shares Dr. Gashaw Abeza, the founder of Grand African Run.

More than a race along neighborhood streets across Alexandria, like Old Town and the Potomac Yard areas, the Grand African Run is an immersive cultural experience where live performers take the stage: musicians play a variety of African drums and violins, while dancers showcase dances like Eskista, a traditional Ethiopian dance, among others from Eritrea, Rwanda, and Kenya. While vendors serve food and artifacts from the African diaspora, charity partners connect with participants, allowing them to choose which causes they’d like to run for, like the African Women’s Cancer Awareness Association (AWCAA), Your Ethiopian Professionals Network (YEP), Raeye Children Aid (RCA), and many more organizations like WIHA, which provides clean water, menstrual pads, and other essential resources to underserved communities in Africa.

Dr. Abeza shares why Alexandria quickly became the perfect place for the Grand African Run. “The city is the people. People from all over the world live in Alexandria. You are welcome, and the experiences prove it.” That spirit of giving and community continues throughout the event, including an opportunity for attendees to enter a lottery drawing for a car, with this year’s prize being a 2026 Toyota Corolla, and the Impact Award, which highlights the extraordinary achievements of African leaders across industries.

“It’s open for anyone. Everybody is welcome to run in it. But we called it that way to celebrate Africa’s achievements, so we called it Grand African Run,” says Dr. Abeza. The event’s name honors the impressive running culture found throughout Africa, which Dr. Abeza first encountered through one of his first jobs working at a local running event for over 30,000 people. “That early age of my career was beautiful. That was my very first job, which I did for five years, and during that time, men, women, anyone disabled, they all came together.” For nearly five years, Dr. Abeza helped organize running events, and he discovered how they had the ability to unite people, no matter their differences.

Over the years, he gained an impressive background as a researcher, professor, and consultant in the world of sports business. But it was not until he started his doctoral degree, began settling down with his wife and kids, and thinking about the idea of home in a different country that he started reflecting on his purpose. “I can teach. Write books and educate students. But so, what? I started to think, I have got to do something. If life took me to this part of the world, I want to give back. When I’m 70, what am I going to tell my kids? You have purpose in your life. I have a purpose in my life. Everyone has got purpose in this life, right? My purpose is giving back.” It was a search for purpose that inspired the idea for Grand African Run, it was just a matter of finding the right place to organize it, and that is Alexandria.

With his purpose clear, Dr. Abeza has helped bring the event to the attention of some of the world’s most celebrated athletes, with appearances by Olympic legends Tirunesh Dibaba and Derartu Tulu. Additionally, a kids’ race takes place nearby, adding another layer of vibrancy to this lively event. “In Alexandria, all cultures come together. It’s a beautiful city and people from all over the world live in it. It’s a perfect destination, and having support from Visit Alexandria plays a role as well. The current Mayor Alyia Gaskins, Councilman John Taylor Chapman, those people they have been amazingly supportive. That’s why we do it in Alexandria,” says Dr. Abeza.

Join the Grand African Run on Saturday October 10, 2026