Sport | Other Sports
Gebrselassie breaks world marathon record
Ethiopian also becomes the first marathon runner to win the race three times.
- AP
- Published: 14:04 September 28, 2008
- Haile Gebrselassie shaves off 28 seconds from the record that he set in Berlin.
- Image Credit: AP
Berlin: Haile Gebrselassie broke his own marathon world record on Sunday, becoming the first runner to finish under 2 hours, 4 minutes.
The Ethiopian clocked 2:03:59 in winning his third straight Berlin Marathon, beating the mark of 2:04:26 he set last year over the same flat course.
He also became the first runner to win the race three times.
"Today, I'm so, so, so happy. Everything was perfect today," Gebrselassie said.
Running under clear, sunny skies in mild temperatures, Gebrselassie paced himself well and controlled the race from the start.
The 35-year-old Gebrselassie was way out front as passed through the Brandenburg Gate and ran to the finish line to applause from the crowd lining the route.
Gebrselassie said his training in the buildup to the race was hindered by an injury.
"I had a small calf muscle problem and I stopped for a week, and then I started again a week ago," he said.
"Then today I had, you know, some doubts ... but it was really very good."
Spectators praised
The Ethiopian praised Berlin and its spectators in helping him set his 26th world record. "Before I came here, I knew I can do something here in Berlin, because since I started running Berlin is my lucky city," Gebrselassie said.
"I think everyone ... the whole Berlin people, they watch this race, [are] wonderful, really." Berlin's flat course often provides fast times.
Five years ago, Paul Tergat of Kenya ran 2:04:55, becoming the first runner to go under 2:05.
Gebrselassie first ran in Berlin in 2006 and clocked 2:05:56 before breaking the world record last year. In three years, he has improved nearly two minutes on his time.
The Ethiopian chose to skip the Olympic marathon in Beijing because of the city's pollution. However, he finished sixth in the 10,000 metres, a race he won at Atlanta in 1996 and at Sydney in 2000.
In the women's race, Irina Mikitenko of Germany improved her personal best by more than four minutes to record the seventh fastest time for a woman. She finished in 2:19:19 to break the national record and become the fourth fastest woman of all time, behind Paula Radcliffe, Catherine Ndereba and Mizuki Noguchi. Askale Magarsa of Ethiopia was second in 2:21:31 and Helena Kirop of Kenya finished third in 2:25:01.
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