Thousands of people wanted to do their bit to help

More than 8,000 Ethiopians have taken part in a six kilometre charity fun run in support of the millions of people in the country who need food aid.

Leading the runners were two of Ethiopia's latest track stars - world champions Kenenisa Bekele and Tirunesh Dibaba.

The race organisers said they wanted to show the world that Ethiopians can do something for themselves when it comes to poverty and the athletes' participation was vital.

"This is a race against hunger and one we must win," 10,000-metre men's champion Bekele told reporters.

"If we are committed, we can beat it, but it will be a tough fight - harder than winning world championships."

Cheering crowds gathered at the finishing line in Addis Ababa's main square where the thousands of runners crossed the finishing line and collected a small medal for taking part.

While many were panting, all were smiling and caught up in the spirit of the event.

Appeal

The BBC's Damian Zane in Addis Ababa said everyone he spoke to before the race talked about how they wanted to do their bit to fight poverty.

Tirunesh Dibaba, Ethiopia's 5,000 metres world champion, said she was happy to take part in what she called a noble cause.

"We hope this will raise awareness about the plight of the country but also show that we are fighting it and not just relying on aid," organiser Salome Tadesse said, adding that they hoped to raise $20,000.

Overall, the organisers aim to collect about $1.5 million with the fun run and other events held this year - a tiny fraction of the money Ethiopia needs.

The Ethiopian Government and the United Nations say about 13.2 million people - one in five of the population - are still suffering from the effects of last year's drought.