Haile Gebrselassie takes victory at Great North Run
Ethiopia’s Haile Gebrselassie soared to a dramatic win at this year’s Great North Run in Gateshead, England. The 37-year-old fought back Kenya’s Kiplimo Kimutai and Morocco’s Jaouad Gharib to reach victory
in the men’s elite race with a time of 59.33, narrowly missing the 59:05 course record which has held since 2005.
Under cool, cloudy conditions, Gebrselassie wowed the crowds along the Tyneside. “It was wonderful,” an elated Gebrselassie told BBC Sport. “This is the Great North Run, it is so big and wonderful and
it is good to be part of its history.” Gebrselassie
faced serious competition at the start of the race, after Gharib flew off the starting line and soared ahead. “I wanted to go faster but at the beginning of the race I was a bit confused at what Gharib
did. I thought he was trying to make a kind of a trick,” said Gebrselassie. Yet the athlete kept his composure, and broke through about halfway through the race to seal the victory. “I needed someone to keep the pace until the last 2km and maybe then it would
have been faster, but I was on my own most of the race. What is important is to win – the Great North Run is very special.”
It was the first Great North Run for Gebrselassie, who won two 10,000m Olympic gold medals in Atlanta and Sydney, among several world championships. “I have been dreaming for many years of racing here.
I kept promising that I would come and finally I've made it.”
Compatriot Berhane Adere also secured a win for her country in the elite women’s race, after beating Portugal’s Ana Dulce Felix and Marisa Barros with a time of 68:49. “It was a good race to win and for
a second time,” stated Adere, who acknowledged that the victory wasn’t easily achieved. “I was tested hard by Felix but finally managed to pull away. I know the course well having ran here several times and always felt in control. But she did make it hard
for me.”
Britain’s David Weir and Shelly Woods held back the competition in the wheelchair races, finishing in 44:49 and 52:59 respectively.
Britain’s leading woman runner Mara Yamauchi came in fifth with a time of 70:39, despite her hopes for a podium finish. Yet Yamauchi remained optimistic, hoping to improve on her form in time for the New
York Marathon in November. “It was a reasonable time,” she reflected. “I was hoping to go a little bit quicker but hopefully in another month I'll be going quicker.”
Other racers who featured in the run were Dathan Ritzenhein, Abderrahim Bouramdane, Jose-Manuel Martinez, Andy Lemoncello, Constantina Dita, Hayley Yelling-Higham, and Liz Yelling.
Olympian Dita of Romania, who agreed at the last minute to replace injured Jessica Augusto, was another hopeful for the event but failed to earn a place in the top standings.
The 13.1 mile Great North Run event stretches from Newcastle to South Shields, and 54,000 runners participated in the 30th anniversary event.
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