News and Events

Official GGFR Launch Rally

June 8 Celebration Starts With 5K Race

Stan Cottrell speaks from the heart to thousands in Awassa, Ethiopia at the Official GGFR Start

This jam packed day started with a 5K Race in Awassa, Ethiopia with over 1000 participants wearing run sponsor T-shirts saying The Great Global Friendship Run and Jerry Spencer Ministries. Below, you can see eager runners in readiness for the ribbon cutting to begin the race, and scenes from the celebration in the Soccer Stadium in the heart of town, attended by many thousands.

There are also many, many more vibrant images in the Facebook photo “album” – Ethiopia Launch – The Great Global Friendship Run discoverable through the Photos tab on The Great Global Friendship Run Facebook Page at https://Facebook.com/TGGFR (and please “like” the page).

“All of history has been waiting for this day…
the beginning of The Great Global Friendship Run!”

GGFR Historic Launch Week

Stan Cottrell’s First Ethiopian Runs June 1-7

June 1: Run Launch Day Drama

After a wonderful church service the evening of May 31^st with Dr. Jerry Spencer, Stan falls into a dark hole that nobody saw. Intense pain… Is his hip broken, as it feels?…  Getting the deep, gushing, puncture wound in his leg stitched up, now on the eve of this most historic event, Stan optimistically invites the doctor to join the Run’s start – and he accepts.

Now it’s morning and the doctor is there for the first 1/2 mile or so of this historic first run of the six-year GGFR… and Stan runs strong…

On The Eve Of The Great Global Friendship Run

Press And Journaling As Stan Cottrell Travels To Ethiopia

May 25: Stan Cottrell’s Pre-Launch Reflections

“…My heart is with the masses…the people who feel they are insignificant…those who feel they are the unknown, the forgotten, the ones who feel God made a mistake in their being born…  I know this morning I report for duty…Here Am I Lord to do what is prescribed to me as unto The Lord…and to do it from a ‘Whole Heart’. Oh yes, I will do my 70 mile run, of course! I feel God’s pleasure when I run…” ~ Stan Cottrell

A Friendship Run is about touching hearts with God’s love-in-action, sharing friendship, spreading hope…

May 27: AV Interview With Stan Cottrell

We had an energized interview on African Views Blog Talk Radio channel with the amazing ultra distance runner and Friendship Ambassador, Stan Cottrell, founder of Friendship Sports Association and the “Friendship Run” concept.  Stan graciously made two hours of time for us, as he eagerly prepared to leave Atlanta the next day for the long journey to Ethiopia.

Stan shared openly about his life-long preparation this greatest challenge…

VIE Article Highlights GGFR Launch – Focus On Orphans

“Giving Back – Great Global Friendship Run To Benefit Orphans Worldwide”

VIE - "Giving Back: Great Global Friendship Run To Benefit Orphans Worldwide"

FSA thanks VIE Magazine and journalist Jordan Staggs for running its impactful and informative article on Stan Cottrell’s historic launch of “The Great Global Friendship Run” (GGFR) in Ethiopia.  The VIE article coincided with Stan’s arrival May 31st in Hawassa / Awassa, the capital of Southern, in readiness for the next morning’s historic “running start” for this six-year odyssey to spread friendship and hope, and to raise funds for the world’s orphans and abandoned children.

Stan will be making runs throughout the Hawassa area starting June 1, leading up to GGFR launch ceremonies in the Hawassa / Awassa soccer stadium on Saturday, June 8 … then more runs through mountains and jungles, orphanages and villages, until returning to Addis Ababa for a run in the National Stadium on Saturday, June 15… with many intervening outreach events and runs focused on “Lighting The World With The Power Of Hope.”

As VIE poignantly tells the story…  

Great Global Friendship Run Inaugural Events

Special Run Events – Hawassa, Ethiopia, Africa June 1–16, 2013

GGFR Launches In Ethiopia, Africa

• Stan Cottrell will run into the Soccer Stadium in the middle of Hawassa and deliver a keynote address before an anticipated crowd of 60,000.

• June 8^th, Stan Cottrell participate with Dr. Jerry Spencer in a giant rally following the presentation of awards for the 5k Run involving more than 1,000 runners who will be wearing T-shirts with “The Great Global Friendship Run” on the front.

• Stan’s two weeks in Ethiopia will be packed with events … speaking at orphanages and schools and churches… meeting the President of the country and other dignitaries and business leaders, with the blessing of the Ethiopian Evangelical Council, the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, Mayor and Hawassa City Administration Sports Council… reaching out to the people who feel they are insignificant, those who feel they are the unknown, the forgotten…

Haile Tefera Coordinates Ethiopia Run Events And Orphan Outreach

 Stan Cottrell And Dr. Jerry Spencer Announce…

Stan Cottrell and Dr. Jerry Spencer announce with appreciation that Haileselasse Tefera is coordinating the upcoming launch events for The Great Global Friendship Run in Ethiopia in conjunction with his coordination for Jerry Spencer Ministries of over 50 participating organizations and churches, special jungle and interior access for the run and film team, workshops, 5k race, stadium and ministry and orphans outreaches May 30 – June 15, 2013.  Even with the variety of events, the primary focus throughout will be on the orphans and children in need.

Haile Tefera is Director of Source of Light Ministries in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, as well as Vice President of the Jeremiah Connection and Coordinator for Jerry Spencer Ministries in Ethiopia. For almost a year now he has been diligently preparing for this multifaceted outreach centered in Hawassa / Awassa in the Southern region of Ethiopia, to which he graciously invited and is sponsoring Stan Cottrell and the GGFR – The Run for the Orphans. 

Long Distance Runner Joins Ethiopia Outreach

 Dr. Jerry Spencer Announces Stan Cottrell…

We are excited to announce that international long distance runner Stan Cottrell has agreed to join us in our multifaceted outreach project in Hawassa, Ethiopia, May 28th – June 16th, 2013.

Mr. Cottrell is launching his six year Great Global Friendship Run from Ethiopia. His cherished appearance in the southern region of Ethiopia is a fantastic boost to the efforts that we have put together to impact this region in a major way.

Mr. Cottrell has run all over the world. We are honored that he is launching this ambitious campaign from the site of our festival in Hawassa. The overriding purpose of this worldwide friendship run is to call attention to the plight of orphan children in the world. Stan is convinced that calling attention to these millions of children can successfully rally international interest in coming to their aid. Allow me to quote Stan,

Former Guinness World Record Holder To Run 17,000 Miles

Announcing The Great Global Friendship Run

For Immediate Release

 Contact:
Stan Cottrell, Chairman
Friendship Sports Association Inc.
98 Top Mast Drive, Clayton, GA 30525

Atlanta, Georgia, February 1, 2013 – Friendship Sports Association charity announces that Stan Cottrell, one of the all-time-great names of ultra distance runners, will run 35 miles per day, for 2 consecutive days per week until he runs through all the world’s 250+ countries, territories and colonies.  He will spend one week in each country with festivities, seminars, sports events, cultural events, children’s events and work with orphans.

This adventure and epic odyssey of global friendships will begin in 2013.
Stan Cottrell is now 70 years old.

After running more than 200,000 miles thus far, Stan has learned first hand there is a rarely tapped reservoir of benign power for international diplomacy that has come from running through different countries.