Haile Gebrselassie
Ethiopia
Long-distance running
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Career In 1992 he won the 5000m and 10,000m races at the Junior World Championships in Seoul and a silver medal in the junior race at the World Cross Country Championships. In 1993 Haile won the first of four consecutive World Championships titles in the men's 10,000 metres. In 1994 he won a bronze medal at the IAAF World Cross Country Championships and he set his first world record by running a 12:56.96 in the 5,000m. In 1995 Haile set the 10,000m record in 26:43.53 and ran the 5000m in 12:44.39, taking 10.91 seconds off the world record 12:55.30 This world record was voted "Performance of the Year". In 1998 he has lowered the indoor world records for 2000 and 3000 metres and set a 10,000 metres world record 26:22.75, breaking Paul Tergat's world record. In 2000, Haile again won all of his races, ranking first in the world yet again in both the 5000 and 10,000 metres. At the 2000 Sydney Olympics, he became the third man in history to successfully defend an Olympic 10,000 metres title. In 2001, Haile won the IAAF World half marathon and the bronze medal in the 10,000m at the World Championships in Athletics. Since leaving the track after the 2004 Olympics, Haile has focused on road racing and the marathon. His Marathons to date include London 2002 (3rd), Amsterdam 2005 (1st), London 2006 (9th), Berlin 2006 (1st), Fukuoka 2006 (1st), London 2007 (dnf), Berlin 2007 (1st and WR), Dubai 2008 (1st), Berlin 2008 (1st and WR), Dubai 2009 (1st) Berlin 2009 (1st), Dubai 2010 (1st), and NYC 2010 (dnf). In 2005 Haile went undefeated in all of his road races and in 2006 he beated the Half Marathon record, but on 23 April 2006, he finished 9th in the London Marathon that he considered as "the worst race of my career". However he came back with a win in the Berlin Marathon in the fastest time of the year, 2:05:56 that made him the fifth man in history to run under 2:06 for the Marathon. This was followed by a win in the Fukuoka Marathon in Japan in 2:06:52. On 27 June 2007, Haile launched an attack upon the world record for the one hour run, in Ostrava, Czech Republic. This record attempt was successful as Haile passed the hour mark at 21,285 metres. Haile made his debut in New York City when he won the New York City Half Marathon on 5 August 2007, in 59:24, breaking the previous course record. His win in the Lisbon Half Marathon (59:15) in March 2008 gave him a perfect record of 9–0 in winning all of his half marathons. He lost his first half marathon in Den Haag (14 March 2009). On 30 September 2007, Haile won the Berlin Marathon in 2:04:26, setting the world record. Haile is the only man older than 30 years of age to break 27 minutes in the 10,000m; On 28 September 2008, he defended his Berlin Marathon title, breaking his own world record by 27 seconds. Haile won the Dubai Marathon on 16 January 2009. In September that year, he won the Berlin Marathon for the fourth consecutive time and on that occasion he passed the 30-kilometer point in 1:27:49, which is a new world record for a road 30K In 2010 he tried to attack his own world record for the third consecutive time at the Dubai Marathon 2010. Although he won the race with a time of 2:06:09, he failed to break his world record.
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Personal bests
Outdoor track
|
Distance |
Time |
Date |
Location |
|
3:33.73 |
6 June 1999 |
Stuttgart, Germany |
|
|
3:52.39 |
27 June 1999 |
Gateshead, England |
|
|
7:25.09 |
28 August 1998 |
Brussels, Belgium |
|
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8:01.08 |
31 May 1997 |
Hengelo, Netherlands |
|
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12:39.36 |
13 June 1998 |
Helsinki, Finland |
|
|
26:22.75 |
1 June 1998 |
Hengelo, Netherlands |
|
|
56:26.0 |
27 June 2007 |
Ostrava, Czech Republic |
|
|
21,285 m |
27 June 2007 |
Ostrava, Czech Republic |
Road
|
Distance |
Time |
Date |
Location |
|
27:02 |
11 December 2002 |
Doha, Qatar |
|
|
15 km |
41:38 |
11 November 2001 |
Nijmegen, Netherlands |
|
Ten miles |
44:24 |
4 September 2005 |
Tilburg, Netherlands |
|
20 km |
55:48+ |
15 January 2006 |
Phoenix, United States |
|
58:55 |
15 January 2006 |
Phoenix, United States |
|
|
25 km |
1:11:37 |
12 March 2006 |
Alphen aan den Rijn, Netherlands |
|
2:03:59 |
28 September 2008 |
Berlin, Germany |
Indoor track
|
Distance |
Time (min) |
Date |
Location |
|
1:49.35 |
9 February 1997 |
Dortmund, Germany |
|
|
2:20.30 |
1 February 1998 |
Stuttgart, Germany |
|
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3:31.76 |
1 February 1998 |
Stuttgart, Germany |
|
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4:52.86 |
15 February 1998 |
Birmingham, England |
|
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7:26.15 |
25 January 1998 |
Karlsruhe, Germany |
|
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8:04.69 |
21 February 2003 |
Birmingham, England |
|
|
12:50.38 |
14 February 1999 |
Birmingham, England |
International championships
International competitions
|
Year |
Competition |
Venue |
Position |
Event |
|
|
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1991 |
Antwerp, Belgium |
8th |
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1992 |
Boston, United States |
2nd |
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1992 |
Seoul, South Korea |
1st |
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1992 |
Seoul, South Korea |
1st |
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1993 |
Amorebieta, Spain |
7th |
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1993 |
Durban, South Africa |
2nd |
5000 metres |
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1993 |
Durban, South Africa |
3rd |
10,000 metres |
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1993 |
Stuttgart, Germany |
2nd |
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1993 |
Stuttgart, Germany |
1st |
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1994 |
Budapest, Hungary |
3rd |
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1994 |
Litochoro, Greece |
2nd |
Marathon relay |
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1995 |
Durham, England |
4th |
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1995 |
Gothenburg, Sweden |
DNS |
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1995 |
Gothenburg, Sweden |
1st |
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1996 |
Stellenbosch, South Africa |
5th |
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1996 |
Atlanta, United States |
DNS |
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1996 |
Atlanta, United States |
1st |
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1997 |
Paris, France |
1st |
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1997 |
Athens, Greece |
1st |
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1999 |
Maebashi, Japan |
1st |
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1999 |
Maebashi, Japan |
1st |
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1999 |
Seville, Spain |
1st |
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2000 |
Sydney, Australia |
1st |
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2001 |
Edmonton, Canada |
3rd |
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2001 |
Bristol, England |
1st |
Half marathon |
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2003 |
Birmingham, England |
1st |
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2003 |
Paris, France |
2nd |
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2004 |
Athens, Greece |
5th |
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2008 |
Beijing, China |
6th |
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Marathon performances
|
Year |
Competition |
Position |
Performance |
|
2002 |
3rd |
2:06:35 |
|
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2005 |
1st |
2:06:20 |
|
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2006 |
1st |
2:05:56 |
|
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2006 |
1st |
2:06:52 |
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2006 |
9th |
2:09:31 |
|
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2007 |
1st |
2:04:26 |
|
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2007 |
DNF |
— |
|
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2008 |
1st |
2:03:59 |
|
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2008 |
1st |
2:04:53 |
|
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2009 |
1st |
2:05:29 |
|
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2009 |
1st |
2:06:08 |
|
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2010 |
1st |
2:06:09 |
|
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2010 |
DNF |
— |
|
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2011 |
DNF |
— |
|
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2012 |
4th |
2:08:17 |
|
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2012 |
DNF |
— |
Track and field circuit
|
Year |
Competition |
Venue |
Position |
Event |
|
1995 |
Monte Carlo, Monaco |
1st |
3000 metres |
|
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1998 |
Europe |
1st |
Jackpot winner |
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1998 |
Moscow, Russia |
1st |
3000 metres |
World record and best performances
|
Distance |
Mark |
Date |
Location |
Notes |
|
12:56.96 |
4 June 1994 |
Hengelo, Netherlands |
|
|
|
8:07.46 |
28 May 1995 |
Kerkrade, Netherlands |
Third fastest time ever |
|
|
26:43.53 |
5 June 1995 |
Hengelo, Netherlands |
|
|
|
5000 metres |
12:44.39 |
16 August 1995 |
Zurich, Switzerland |
|
|
5000 metres |
13:10.98 |
27 January 1996 |
Sindelfingen, Germany, |
indoors |
|
3000 metres |
7:30.72 |
4 February 1996 |
Stuttgart, Germany, |
indoors |
|
5000 metres |
12:59.04 |
20 February 1997 |
Stockholm, Sweden |
indoors |
|
Two miles |
8:01.08 |
31 May 1997 |
Hengelo, Netherlands |
Second fastest time ever |
|
10,000 metres |
26:31.32 |
4 July 1997 |
Oslo, Norway |
|
|
5000 metres |
12:41.86 |
13 August 1997 |
Zurich, Switzerland |
|
|
3000 metres |
7:26.15 |
25 January 1998 |
Karlsruhe, Germany |
indoors |
|
2000 metres |
4:52.86 |
15 February 1998 |
Birmingham, UK |
indoors |
|
10,000 metres |
26:22.75 |
1 June 1998 |
Hengelo, Netherlands |
|
|
5000 metres |
12:39.36 |
13 June 1998 |
Helsinki, Finland |
|
|
5000 metres |
12:50.38 |
14 February 1999 |
Birmingham, UK |
indoors |
|
10 kilometres |
27:02 |
11 December 2002 |
Doha, Qatar |
road race |
|
Two miles |
8:04.69 |
21 February 2003 |
Birmingham, UK |
indoors |
|
15 kilometres |
41:22 |
4 September 2005 |
Tilburg, Netherlands |
road race, not IAAF-ratified |
|
10 miles |
44:24 |
4 September 2005 |
Tilburg, Netherlands |
road race, world best |
|
20 kilometres |
55:48+ |
15 January 2006 |
Tempe, Arizona, US |
|
|
58:55 |
15 January 2006 |
Tempe, Arizona, US |
|
|
|
25 kilometres |
1:11:37 |
12 March 2006 |
Alphen aan den Rijn, Netherlands |
road race, not IAAF-ratified – no post-race EPO test |
|
21,285 m |
27 June 2007 |
Ostrava, Czech Republic |
|
|
|
2:04:26 |
30 September 2007 |
Berlin, Germany |
|
|
|
2:03:59 |
28 September 2008 |
Berlin, Germany |
|
|
|
30 kilometres |
1:27:49 + |
20 September 2009 |
Berlin, Germany |
