Refugees in the half marathon running without fear
2015-03-11 11:06:24 Written by Alexander Kaiser Published in English Articles Read 3336 times-
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Also four refugees from Eritrea who participated in Frankfurt Lufthansa Half Marathon. For them, running was "a place of safety" long a.
09/03/2015, by ALEXANDER KAISER , FRANKFURT
© NORBERT MÜLLERRelaxed at the premiere: Abraham Hanibal, Avet and Anday (from left) with Pastor Thomas Stephan (center) at the Frankfurt Half Marathon.
Long distance runners know their resting heart rate, their body fat, their average and best times. From Avet, Hanibal, Anday and Abraham know their caregivers do not even know how old they are. So far, four have made for quite other things to worry about than their level of fitness. And yet they are now at the start of the Lufthansa Half Marathon, along with 5500 other athletes.
The Africans are refugees, they come from Eritrea and live for about six months, the Giuseppe Bruno House, a transitional housing the workers' welfare in Frankfurt. Together with Pastor Thomas Stephan and their supervisor Robert Gilcher of the Protestant Church in Niederrad they have come on Sunday to start the woods stadium to take a good 21 kilometers covered distance in attack.
In Eritrea, played football Avet
Pastor Stephen knows that there is something peculiar to the refugees to participate in such a sporting event. Where they come from, people rarely run for pleasure quickly, but rather to seek safety from danger. Stephan is even participate in the race; he wears a shirt with the logo of "Churches' Commission for Migrants in Europe". Managers Gilcher has brought a flag of this ecclesial charity. He wants to cheer on the Eritreans from the side of the track.
Avet, Hanibal, Anday Abraham and have never run a half marathon.Nevertheless, Avet says he feels "loose". He played football before he fled from his home. In Eritrea, there is neither expression nor freedom of assembly. Who was called up for military service, must expect to spend his life in the army.There are always conflicts with neighboring countries, Ethiopia and Djibouti.
All make it to the finish
What exactly did the four men have been through before they arrived in August in Giessen Erstaufnahmelager not know Gilcher: "Something is coming out with time. Then, photos are shown by the family or friends who have been kidnapped, or there will be other terrible things told. "In Frankfurt, the four have been kindly received. Not only the Protestant community in Niederrad, and the Association of Friends of Nature, and other supporters would have believed her, reported Gilcher.
They also came to the sport. At the invitation of the "Spiridon", which aligns the Lufthansa Half Marathon, they are already jogged with the running club, and when Silvesterlauf than six miles long, they also went to the start. Therefore, it has enabled the men of the country club to compete without fee for the half marathon.
Shortly after ten clock it gets serious for the athletes. In six groups divided, they go on the run course that runs through Niederrad and Sachsenhausen. Each has a chip fixed to the shoe, which measures the time. Anday is the fastest of the four Africans: he covers the distance in one hour and 24 minutes. But his three teammates make it into the top fifth of the participants. Perhaps they make the courage for the marathon, which is still before them and whose destination is a peaceful life.
