FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Gebreselassie at Dubai Marathon Friday
Dubai, Wednesday, January 20, 1200gmt
Haile Gebrselassie pronounced his preparation "perfect" for Friday's
Standard Chartered Dubai Marathon, but reminded everyone at today's press
conference that all the other elements had to be perfect too, even for an
attempt on his world record of 2.03.59, set in Berlin 18 months ago.
"I've made sure I'm in perfect shape," said the 36 year old Ethiopian, who
will be running in Dubai for the third year in succession. "But everything
has to be perfect, the weather, the pacemakers. If everything is perfect, I
can run 2.03.30. I don't promise, if I promise and fail, we'll all be
disappointed. Two years ago, it was a little bit warm at the end (he ran
2.04.53, then second fastest in history), last year, it was raining (he
'only' ran 2.05.29, eighth fastest)".
He dismissed the notion that his first half in 61min 45sec, 2.03.30 pace,
in 2008 might have been too fast. "I didn't run too fast, I want to do the
same on Friday. It's good the race starts at 6.30(am), but above all, I
want to keep to the schedule all the way through. Even if you run the first
kilometre to slow, you're catching up all the way".
His two victories here have netted him half a million dollars, since the
race was upgraded in 2008 with a million dollars prize money, making the
first prize of $250,000, for both men and women the biggest in the marathon
world.
But there is also the little matter of a million dollar bonus for a world
record, offered by Dubai Holding. Race Director Peter Connerton said that
the economic recession had not affected the marathon at all, "if anything,
we've had extra interest from sponsors, who can see the value of sport in
times like these".
As if to back him up, you never saw a man happier at the prospect of
shelling out a million bucks than the representative of Dubai Holding.
But Gebrselassie, who bows to no one in the art of taking a press
conference captive was more than equal to that.
Replying to someone who asked what he might do if he won the million
dollars, he first said, "I will tell you after I get the million dollars,"
then adding as the laughter died down, "If I could get the record by paying
a million dollars, I'd do it".
Three of the pacemakers who delivered him on schedule to 35k last year,
before the rains ruined the record attempt - Fabiano Joseph of Tanzania,
and John Kales and Sammy Kosgei of Kenya – are in there again.
And another Kenyan Sammy Korir, who was once second fastest in the world,
says that he is not in the field as token opposition. Korir ran 2.04.56,
one second behind colleague Paul Tergat's then world record, in Berlin
2003, but has a dozen sub-2.10 times, more than Gebrselassie.
Korir, 38, finished third here two years ago, and said today, "After my run
in Berlin (2003 behind Tergat) I had injuries and it was difficult, coming
back to racing and then getting injured again. But now I have shown I can
run fast, 2:07 again (winning in Seoul 2008), so I am looking forward to
the race. Dubai is a very good course for running fast".
Before the 42.2k on Friday, Gebreselassie went off to tackle the half-mile
high Burj Khalifa, as one of the first famous guests up the recently opened
world's tallest tower.
And having reiterated today his desire to run the Olympic marathon in
London 2012, the inference is that Haile is not planning to slow down any
time soon. So, weather and pacemakers permitting, expect another towering
time from the Little Emperor on Friday.
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