Olympic Track & Field Codexery

Haile Gebrselassie

Ethiopian long-distance runner and businessman, called the Emperor of Distance Running.

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Haile Gebrselassie is an Ethiopian former long-distance runner and businessman who won two Olympic gold medals and four World Championship titles over 10,000 metres.[1] He set 27 world records and broke 61 Ethiopian national records from 800 metres to the marathon.[2]

Key facts and history

Haile was born on 18 April 1973 in Asella, Ethiopia, one of ten children.[1][3] In 2001, he won the IAAF World Half Marathon Championships and ran his first half marathon in 1:04:34.[4] He was elected to the IAAF Athletes Commission in 2003.[5] During his childhood on a farm, his daily routine involved covering ten kilometers on foot to get to school and then repeating that distance for the return trip.[3]

At a 1995 competition in Hengelo, he completed the 10,000 metres in 26:43.53, which was nine seconds faster than the previous world record.[6] That marathon world record remained unbeaten for a period of three years.[7] Since 2008, no one has broken his Masters age group world record for the 10,000 metres.[7]

What the cited sources add

The same report states the difference between that split and the 5000 metres world record was 17.88 seconds, a record margin.[8] That article also quotes Haile saying "There was a lot of pain"[9] A BBC Sport report on the 2009 Berlin Marathon states that Haile won for the fourth consecutive year but missed breaking his world record due to warm conditions.[10] The same report quotes Haile saying "The last kilometres were really hard, it was too hot for a new world record"[10]

References

  1. Wikipedia, "Haile Gebrselassie" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "At home, and at work with Gebrselassie in Addis Ababa", World Athletics; "Olympic legend and now successful businessman Haile Gebrselassie warns West not to push Ethiopia", Sky News (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  2. Wikipedia, "Haile Gebrselassie" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "Gebrselassie's great plan", The Independent, 2 June 2000; "Men's 10,000m: Gebrselassie may be the best of all time", CBC Sports, 6 August 2001; "Haile successful: Gebrselassie reminds us once again of his greatness", 5 August 2007; Longman, "MARATHON; Gebrselassie's Plan Could Hurt Him in the End", The New York Times, 13 April 2002; "Steinle seeking London glory", BBC Sport, 4 April 2002 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  3. Wikipedia, "Haile Gebrselassie" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "Profiles: Haile Gebrselassie", International Olympic Committee; "Haile Gebrselassie – Tuntimo" (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  4. Wikipedia, "Haile Gebrselassie" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "ARRS – Runner: Haile Gebreselasie", more.arrs.run (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  5. Wikipedia, "Haile Gebrselassie" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "Paris 2003 – from a distance", IAAF.org, 2 September 2003 (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
  6. Wikipedia, "Haile Gebrselassie" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: IAAF 1999 World Indoor Championships Men's 3000 metres biographies . IAAF. Retrieved on 12 January 2014.; "Archives", Los Angeles Times (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  7. Wikipedia, "Haile Gebrselassie" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Agency, "Haile Gebrselassie : the icon of athletics and business world", Africa News Agency, 2 February 2024 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  8. "Paris 2003 – from a distance", IAAF.org, 2 September 2003. facts only, no text reused. iaaf.org
  9. "Brilliant Bekele takes gold", BBC Sport, 20 August 2004. facts only, no text reused. news.bbc.co.uk
  10. "Gebrselassie retains Berlin crown", 20 September 2009. facts only, no text reused. news.bbc.co.uk

Each numbered sentence above was checked against the source it cites before publication. Sentences citing Wikipedia adapt text from the English Wikipedia article Haile Gebrselassie (contributors), used under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is available under the same licence. Other sources were used for facts only; no text or images are copied from them.

Career statistics and honours

Awards and honours

International competitions

1991World Cross Country ChampionshipsAntwerp, Belgium8thJunior race (8.415 km)24:23
2ndTeam26 pts
1992World Cross Country ChampionshipsBoston, United States2ndJunior race (7.8 km)23:35
2ndTeam28 pts
World Junior ChampionshipsSeoul, South Korea1st5000 m13:36.06
1st10,000 m28:03.99
1993World Cross Country ChampionshipsAmorebieta, Spain7thSenior race (11.75 km)33:23
2ndTeam82 pts
African ChampionshipsDurban, South Africa2nd5000 m13:10.41
3rd10,000 m27:30.17
World ChampionshipsStuttgart, Germany2nd5000 m13:03.17
1st10,000 m27:46.02
1994World Cross Country ChampionshipsBudapest, Hungary3rdSenior race (12.02 km)34:32
3rdTeam133 pts
World Road Relay ChampionshipsLitochoro, Greece2ndMarathon relay1:58:51
1995World Cross Country ChampionshipsDurham, England4thSenior race (12.02 km)34:26
5thTeam169 pts
World ChampionshipsGothenburg, Sweden—5000 m
1st10,000 m27:12.95
1996World Cross Country ChampionshipsStellenbosch, South Africa5thSenior race (12.15 km)34:28
3rdTeam107 pts
Olympic GamesAtlanta, United States—5000 m
1st10,000 m27:07.34
1997World Indoor ChampionshipsParis, France1st3000 m7:34.71
World ChampionshipsAthens, Greece1st10,000 m27:24.58
1999World Indoor ChampionshipsMaebashi, Japan1st1500 m3:33.77
1st3000 m7:53.57
World ChampionshipsSeville, Spain1st10,000 m27:57.27
2000Olympic GamesSydney, Australia1st27:18.20
2001World ChampionshipsEdmonton, Canada3rd10,000 m27:54.41
World Half Marathon ChampionshipsBristol, England1stHalf marathon1:00:03
1stTeam3:00:31
2003World Indoor ChampionshipsBirmingham, England1st3000 m7:40.97
World ChampionshipsParis, France2nd10,000 m26:50.77
2004Olympic GamesAthens, Greece5th27:27.70
2008Olympic Games6th10,000 m27:06.68

Marathon performances

2002London Marathon3rd2:06:35
2005Amsterdam Marathon1st2:06:20
2006London Marathon9th2:09:05
Berlin Marathon1st2:05:56
Fukuoka Marathon1st2:06:52
2007London Marathon—
Berlin MarathonBerlin, Germany1st2:04:26 '
2008Dubai MarathonDubai, United Arab Emirates1st2:04:53
Berlin MarathonBerlin, Germany1st2:03:59 WR
2009Dubai MarathonDubai, United Arab Emirates1st2:05:29
Berlin MarathonBerlin, Germany1st2:06:08
2010Dubai MarathonDubai, United Arab Emirates1st2:06:09
New York City MarathonNew York, United States—
2011Berlin MarathonBerlin, Germany—
2012Tokyo MarathonTokyo, Japan4th2:08:17
Fukuoka MarathonFukuoka, Japan—

Track and field circuit

1995Grand Prix FinalMonte Carlo, Monaco10th3000 m
1998Golden LeagueEurope1stJackpot winnerShared with Hicham El Guerrouj and Marion Jones
1998Grand Prix FinalMoscow, Russia1st3000 m

Tables copied from the source article, totals included as the source gives them: Wikipedia: Haile Gebrselassie (CC BY-SA 4.0). Wide tables scroll sideways.

Related entries

Named in this entry

Seoul

Ranked in

Tallest Olympic athletes

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Sources

Compiled from Wikipedia and the sources listed below. Text from Wikipedia is available under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is adapted from it.

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