Haile Gebrselassie on course at the Berlin Marathon (© Victah Sailer)
Ethiopia’s former twotime Olympic and four-time World 10,000m champion Haile Gebrselassie will continue his impressive season when he takes part in the 60th Fukuoka International Marathon on 3 December 2006.
The 33-year old, who ran a world lead and a national record of 2:05.56 to win the Berlin Marathon in September, will be taking part in the fifth marathon of his career.
“I just want to be run and win in Fukuoka,” he said. “I will not be attempting a personal best or a World record. I will just race to win.”
Fukuoka will be Gebrselassie’s last race of 2006, a year which has provided both high and low points in his glittering career. The high points came in Arizona, USA when he broke World records over the 20km and the Half Marathon at the P.F. Chang Rock n’ Roll Half Marathon in Arizona in January.
But he will also remember what he calls ‘the worst race of my career’ when finishing ninth in the Flora London Marathon in April.
Gebrselassie also confirmed that he will concentrate more on running full marathons and not on shorter race distances in the near future.
“I want to focus on full marathons and as much as possible, I will not run shorter races in the future,” he says. “I might not live to win another Olympic gold, but I feel that I will one day break the World marathon record.”
Elshadai Negash for the IAAF
