Gebrselassie
seeks inspiration from 150 years of the Hour Run
IAAF
2 June 2002 – Hengelo – There may be no official pace makers for Haile
Gebrselassie’s record attempt on the One Hour Run which begins at 6.48pm this
evening, however, there is little doubt that everything has been meticulously
planned. With unusually warm weather predicted (25c), even the track in the
Fanny Blankers-Koen Stadium will regularly be sprayed with water, before the
start of the record attempt, to cool the surface temperature and to release more
air into the atmosphere for the five participants.
Looking to the future the organizers have plans to make this, seldom run event, into a regular feature here in Hengelo.
“We also had an American and Japanese runner on the start list who were going to attempt to set national records but they recently withdrew. I think it was because the hour (run) on the track is such an unknown quantity”, confirmed meeting Athlete Liaison officer, Jos Hermens. “It would be good to hold this event more often, so athletes understand the event and can come from all over the world to set national records.”
The One Hour Run celebrates it’s 150th anniversary as a record event this year. Britain’s William Jackson set the first recorded World mark of 17,703m on the 29 March 1852.
Gebrselassie is fully aware of the history too.
“We (Jos and Haile) have discussed the possibility of this run for a long time. The great names of distance running Nurmi, Zatopek, Clarke (who all set World records for the Hour) are well known to me also,” said Ethiopia’s four time World 10,000m champion, who modestly (as usual) concluded, “All the top runners have run the hour and I would like to join these greats.”
Gebrselassie is of course, already firmly installed in this group of legends and many would argue that he is more than their peer, and is perhaps without equal in the history of distance running. If there is any doubt left then tonight’s run in Hengelo should silence any debate, as the One Hour is the last element of Gebrselassie’s running pedigree yet to be judged.
Jos Hermens who is also Gebrselassie’s manager is the best person to make any assessment of the One Hour potential of his most famous athletics client. Hermens is himself a former holder of the World record for the run (20,944m, 1 May 1976), and therefore one of the few people in the world who has experience of running this classic challenge.
The current record stands to Arturo Barrios with 21,101 from 30 March 1991 and Hermens is confident that the record will be broken. “Haile has had some slight problems since the London (marathon) with his legs (and will run in road shoes rather than track spikes as added protection) but it is nothing serious, and if we get good weather conditions, anything is possible. Especially here in Hengelo because Haile is so popular that the support for him will be huge.”
Though there is no officially designated pace maker, of the five man field Gebrselassie's Ethiopian compatriots Worku Bikila and Fita Bayesa will provide support in the early stages of the race, making certain the record schedule does not run adrift before it's "everyman for himself" and they all race for the win.
When Hermens ran the World record in 1976, the accompanying music during the run was “Born to Run”, the Bruce Springsteen classic which had then only just been released. Today the same song will also play it’s part in Gebreslassie’s record bid, as part of the musical melody that will accompany the race in Hengelo.
However, the ever smiling faced Gebrselassie does have one concern. “I am afraid that the spectators might find such a long track race boring!”
Yet as meeting organiser Mr. Fedde Zwanenburg later reminded him, “but Haile you are ‘Mr. Hengelo’, you are their hero.”
The expected 15,000 spectators are undoubtedly coming to see “their” star and to assist them, the organisers will give all spectators a pace chart so they can track Gebrselassie One Hour record progress. In Hengelo, everything really has been meticulously planned!
Note. The Men’s Hammer
was held on Friday (31 May) -
1. Karsten Kobs (GER) 78.84; 2.
Olli-Pekka
Karjalainen (FIN)
78.09 ;
Koji Murofushi (JPN) 78.02.
