Dubai: Ethiopian running legend Haile Gebrselassie has said he will run in the Standard Chartered Dubai Marathon in January.
The race is set to be his first major event after breaking his own world marathon record in the Berlin Marathon last Sunday.
Organisers of the Dubai marathon, which takes place on January 16 next year, said his decision to compete in the event underlined the global standing of the race, which is the world's richest running event.
The marathon has a prize fund of $1 million while anyone who set a new world record the race also offers a new world record would receive a bonus payment of $1 million.
Event director Peter Connerton said: "We have been in discussions with Haile and his management ever since he performed so brilliantly in Dubai earlier this year.
"Our team flew to Germany last week to finalise the details but we didn't want to release the news out of respect for the Berlin Marathon.
"Now he has smashed the world record again, we look forward to Haile coming back to Dubai in 2009."
In the German capital, Gebrselassie further cemented his position as one of the greatest distance runners of all-time.
Not only did he set a new world record, but he became the first man to break the two hours, four minutes barrier.
His time of two hours, three minutes and 59 seconds was the 26th world record of his astonishing career.
More remarkable
It was also the third time he had won the Berlin Marathon and all the more remarkable as his preparation was hampered by injury.
A calf injury forced him to stop training for a week before the race.
Ahmad Al Kamali, General Co-ordinator for the Dubai Marathon and President of the UAE Athletics Federation, said Berlin showed once again what an incredible athlete he was.
"Considering he was nursing a calf injury prior to running in Berlin, setting another world record is an amazing achievement by Haile," he said.
The last three times 'Geb' has run the 26-mile event - Berlin in 2007 and 2008 and in Dubai earlier this year - he has set the three fastest times in history.
Next target
Beating the record again again in January's Dubai Marathon was the 35 year-old's next target following a 15km race in Melbourne in November.
Al Kamali said: "His appearance in Dubai in January this year took the standing of the Dubai Marathon to a new level.
"Although he narrowly missed out on the world record, he was warmly welcomed and received a great ovation from his thousands of supporters.
"I'm sure we'll see more of the same in three months time and we'll do all we can to give him every chance of breaking the world record in Dubai."
The man himself believes he can break his own record again and said that while training for Berlin, he was running quicker than at any time in his marathon career.
"After the race [Berlin], I didn't feel so tired," he said.
"It feels great to be the first man under 2.04 in the marathon. Myself, I can do 2.03 something - if I don't get injured, maybe 2.02.59, but considering my shape and my age, 2.03.30, or 2.03.20."
The Dubai Marathon, which is held under the patronage of His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, is staged under the aegis of the Dubai Sports Council.
