Welcome to Ethiopian Athletics News Page! 2007

Berlin, Germany - Haile Gebrselassie finally fulfilled one of his biggest dreams: The 34 year-old Ethiopian broke the World record at the real,- Berlin-Marathon, clocking 2:04:26 *.

Running in near ideal conditions, Gebrselassie knocked 29 seconds from the preview record, 2:04:55, set by Kenyan Paul Tergat over the same course in 2003.

“It was something very special today, the spectators gave me more support than last year,” Gebrselassie said. “I have to say thank you Germany! Today the weather was perfect.”

Running an even pace Gebrselassie was guided by a group of pacemakers until 30 k. He left behind his other rivals soon after the start and then passed half way in 1:02:29 and always on course for the record. After the last two pacemakers had dropped out at 30 k Gebrselassie increased the pace, clocking his fastest kilometre split of 2:50 at 35 k.

Gete Wami also defended her title in Berlin. The Ethiopian clocked 2:23:17 to finish yet another Ethiopian double victory in Berlin after 2006.>>

Ethiopia - Haile Gebrselassie shatters the world record in Marathon 2:04:26
Gete Wami won the Women's competition in 2 hours, 23 minutes, 17 seconds.

BERLIN (AFP) — Double Olympic champion Haile Gebrselassie broke the world marathon record with an official time of 2hr 4min 26sec to win the 34th Berlin Marathon on Sunday.

The 34-year-old Ethiopian, who won 10,000m gold at Atlanta in 1996 and at Sydney four years later, bettered Kenyan Paul Tergat's record of 2hr 4min and 55sec set in 2003 also in the German capital.

"Don't ask me how proud I am, words can't describe," said the breathless new world record holder who picks up the 50,000 winner's cheque on top of his 250,000 fee for competing. "It's something really special."

"I just want to thank all the German people who helped me on the course, their support made a huge difference. There were perfect conditions out there, it was a bit windy, but otherwise perfect.

This was Gebreselassie's second consecutive win in Berlin since he quit track racing after the 2004 Olympics to concentrate on the marathon.

But there was no talk of retirement for the Ethiopian with the World Athletics Championships set to take place at Berlin's Olympic Stadium in 2009 and next year's Olympic Games in Beijing.

"This isn't the end, I want to come here in 2009 and run the World Championships and there is Beijing next year, so it's not over yet, no way."

Ethiopian runner Haile Gebrselassie poses for the media after winning the men's competition of the 34th Berlin Marathon in Berlin Sunday, Sept. 30, 2007.(AP Photo/Franka Bruns)

Gebrselassie apologises to Tergat for breaking record

By Erik Kirschbaum

BERLIN, Sept 30 (Reuters) - Less than ten minutes after breaking the world marathon record on Sunday, Ethiopia's Haile Gebrselassie was handed a cell phone -- it was Paul Tergat calling from Kenya to offer his congratulations.

"I'm sorry," Gebrselassie told his great rival and long-time friend after winning the Berlin marathon in two hours four minutes 26 seconds, shattering by 29 seconds Tergat's record set on the same course in 2003.

Tergat, who was pipped for the gold medal in the 1996 and 2000 Olympics by Gebrselassie in two classic 10,000 metres battles, would have none of it, telling Gebrselassie he was delighted for him.

"I am sorry -- this record belonged to Paul Tergat," Gebrselassie told a news conference when asked about the phone call. "Paul is my friend."
Gebrselassie tried to tell Tergat he thought he had better weather conditions this year compared to 2003, when it was sunnier and warmer, although there was less wind. But Tergat responded that records were meant to be broken.

"I really wanted to do this record but I was a little bit worried about it, worried about attacking my friend's record," said Gebrselassie, 34, who fell 61 seconds short a year ago in Berlin in his first attempt to break Tergat's mark of 2:04.55.

"I think Paul understands that. I talked to him and said 'Hi, Paul, I'm sorry.' I said 'You can come here and try to get it back again next year'."

Gebrselassie, the best distance runner of his era, is one of only three men to win consecutive Olympic 10,000 metres titles, the second at the 2000 Sydney Games providing an indelible image when he just held off the frenzied challenge from Tergat.

Gebrselassie has now held records at distances ranging from 3,000m to the marathon. He set numerous world records and won four successive world titles over 10,000m before turning to road racing.

"Sure, there's no question about that," Gebrselassie said when asked if the elusive marathon world record was the most important. "It's something special. I was dreaming of it for many years. It's my record now. I'm so happy."

On Sunday he confidently attacked the flat, fast course under ideal marathon weather conditions and had split times that were consistently a half minute faster than Tergat for almost the entire race.
Gebrselassie admitted he had been a bit rattled by heavy rain and strong winds in Berlin earlier in the week.

"I lost some confidence when I first arrived -- you know, the weather," he said. "Yesterday, I thought 'what's going on here in Berlin?' But they kept telling me the weather forecast was 'no rain'. How do you believe that?"

The weather forecast turned out to be accurate. The rain stopped before the race, temperatures at the start were around 13 degrees Celsius, there was only a little wind and skies remained overcast until late in the race.

Haile Gebrselassie, right, and Gete Wami, both from Ethiopia, celebrate after winning the 34th Berlin Marathon in Berlin on Sunday, Sept. 30, 2007 in Berlin. Haile Gebrselassie set a new world record time in 2 hours, 4 minutes, 26 seconds. Wami won the women's competition in 2 hours, 23 minutes, 17 seconds. Around 40,000 runners from 115 countries took part in the event. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber).