UAE: ATHLETICS - Ethiopia's Haile Gebrselassie runs second fastest marathon in history

Record ID: 309004

  • Title: UAE: ATHLETICS - Ethiopia's Haile Gebrselassie runs second fastest marathon in history
  • Date: 19th January 2008
  • Summary: GEBRSELASSIE NEWS CONFERENCE (SOUNDBITE) (ENGLISH) HAILE GEBRSELASSIE SAYS: "The only thing today I did not do was the one record. Even so the time what I did today it's really wonderful, so happy, you know." CUTAWAY OF SIGN (SOUNDBITE) (ENGLISH) HAILE GEBRSELASSIE SAYS: "What I wanted, the first half you know, must be one zero two something, 1.02 is more than enough. But
  • Embargoed: 3rd February 2008 12:00
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  • Topics: Sports
  • Reuters ID: LVA9L32UOF5P9JGPF1Y0MNCUPX90
  • Story Text: Ethiopian Haile Gebrselassie wins the Dubai marathon is two hours four minutes and 53 seconds, less than 30 seconds outside his world record.
    Ethiopian Haile Gebrselassie ran the second fastest time in history to win the Dubai Marathon on Friday (January 18), finishing in an unofficial time of two hours four minutes 53 seconds.
    Gebrselassie, who was chasing a one million dollar incentive to break his own world record, paid the price for his energetic start, finishing 27 seconds outside the mark he set in Berlin last September.
    Reaching 10kms in 28.39, Gebrselassie was 45 seconds up on the Berlin pace, and at halfway in 61.27, that advantage had stretched to 61sec, giving a potential finishing time of well under 2.03. Since Gebreselassie himself had suggested that 2.03 was his limit, he had in effect predicted his own failure.
    So it proved, although he maintained his pace on a new world mark until 35kms, when he still had 25sec in hand.
    The last pacemaker, Abel Kirui of Kenya, dropped out at 30kms, and then the pace began slowing. Lure of one million dollars for a new record, offered by Dubai Holding, disappeared before 40kms, and in the end the 34 year old Ethiopian was 27 seconds short of his record.
    Gebrselassie consolidated his position as the world's best marathoner, and current most prolific record breaker (24 at last count), with the victory winning him the biggest prize in marathon history 250,000 U.S. dollars from Dubai's world record prize money pool of $1 million.
    Isaac Macharia of Kenya came through to take second place in a personal best 2.07.16, and Sammy Korir, still the third fastest man in history (2.04.56 in Berlin 2003) was third in 2.08.01.
    Gerbrselassie conceded that the start was too quick.

    "It was faster than I expected," he said. "And then of course I paid the price after last, halfway."
    The women's race was far more competitive, with seven women still together at the halfway mark.
    Berhane Adere ran away in the last few kilometres, to win in 2.22.40, less than two minutes outside her Ethiopian women's record of 2.20.42, set in Chicago 2006. She too won $250,000.
    Her colleague Bezunesh Bekele made one of the fastest marathon debuts in history, finishing second in 2.23.09, and defending champion, Askale Magarska was third, in 2.23.23, also a personal best.
    RESULTS Standard Chartered Dubai Marathon 2008 Men Place bib no name nation time prize US$ 1 1 Gebrselassie, Haile ETH 2:04:53 250,000 2 22 Macharia, Isaac KEN 2:07:16 100,000 3 9 Korir, Sammy KEN 2:08:01 50,000 4 16 Kudama, Gudisa Shentema ETH 2:09:27 25,000 5 21 Tesfaye Tola ETH 2:09:38 15,000 6 8 Kipkoech, Raymond KEN 2:09:39 14,000 7 28 Chisma, Deressa ETH 2:10:16 13,000 8 17 Fikadu, Asnake ETH 2:11:04 12,000 9 15 Gashaw Melese ETH 2:12:03 11,000 10 7 Rotich, William Todo KEN 2:12:20 10,000 Standard Chartered Dubai Marathon 2008 Women 1 31 Adere, Birhane ETH 2:22:42 250,000 2 35 Bezunesh Bekele ETH 2:23:09 100,000 3 32 Magarsa, Askale Tafa ETH 2:23:23 50,000 4 37 Cheruiyot, Rose Jelagat KEN 2:25:48 25,000 5 44 Chelengat, Alice KEN 2:27:29 15,000 6 42 Roba, Asha Gigi ETH 2:28:24 14,000 7 43 Gemechu, Shitaye ETH 2:30:20 13,000 8 36 Tola, Roba Guta ETH 2:33:44 12,000 9 39 Teka, Kidst ETH 2:35:58 11,000 10 46 Kimani, Lucia KEN 2:37:37 10,000
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