Haile Gebrselassie (ETH) (© Getty Images)
Amsterdam, The NetherlandsThe organisers of the 30th edition of the ING Amsterdam Marathon which takes place this Sunday (16), are hoping Haile Gebrselassie will do the same at the marathon distance, as he did over 10 Miles on 4 September at Tilburg: run the fastest ever time by a human.
On 4 September the Ethiopian distance running master ran the fastest ever clocking for 10 Miles (44:24). The race in the southern Dutch city was run in preparation for an even greater the task the ever smiling Ethiopian has set: bettering his personal best on the marathon. Three years ago in London, Gebrselassie ran his first serious marathon clocking 2:06:35.
Gebrselassie wants to run faster than that time and hopes to better the World record of 2:04:55 set by Paul Tergat of Kenya two years ago in Berlin. Even if he ‘only’ betters his personal best the Ethiopian will still be the fastest marathoner of the year 2005 so far. The barrier of 2:07:00 has yet to be taken this year. Felix Limo of Kenya clocked the fastest last Sunday in the Chicago Marathon with 2:07:02.
Click here for Gebrselassie interview
'Gebrselassie is cautiously optimistic about World record bid in Amsterdam'
The course in the Dutch capital has proved to be very fast in recent years. In 2003 William Kipsang of Kenya clocked a winning time and course record of 2:06:39. Last year another Kenyan runner, Robert Cheboror, was even faster with 2:06:23.
Gebrselassie lines up with his running vest/bib different from the other elite runners: while everyone else will have a number, the peerless former two-time Olympic and four-time World 10,000m champion will be set apart visually as well, wearing a special number bib with just his first name “HAILE”.
Renate Paradowska of Poland will be the fastest in the women’s field with a personal best of 2:27:17.
The weather forecast for Sunday is good: sunny, a temperature around 14/15 degrees and a wind of 4 m/sec.
Wim van Hemert for the IAAF
Elite start list and pacemakers
MEN
(Haile) Haile Gebrselassie (Eth)
PB: 2.06.35 (3) London 14-04-2002
(3) Tesfaye Tola (Eth)
Geb: 19-10-1974
PB 2.06.57 (4) Amsterdam 17-10-1999
(4) Francisco Javier Cortes (Esp)
PB : 2.07.48 (2) Hamburg 22-04-2001
(5) Robert Cheruiyot (Ken)
PB: 2.08.13 (5) Amsterdam 19-10-2003
(6) Daniel Yego (Ken)
PB: 2.08.16 (3) Rome 13-03-2005
(7) Luke Kibet (Ken)
PB: 2.10.18 (3) Amsterdam 21-10-2001
(8) Khalid Boumelili (Mor)
Geb: 0-04-1978
PB: 2.10.49 (1) Marrakech 14-03-2004
(9) George Okworo (Ken)
PB: 2.11.42 (2) Brussel 10-10-2004
(10) Alfred Shemweta (Swe)
PB: 2.14.52 (1) Stockholm 12-06-1999
(11) Bernard Barmasai (Ken)
PB: 2.14.49 (15) Rotterdam 04-04-2004
(12) Kassa Tadesse (Gbr)
PB: 2.15.09 (14) London 17-04-2005
(14) Fransua Woldemariam (Ned)
PB: 2.15.44 (13) Rotterdam 20-04-1997
(15) Jamal Baligha (Mor)
Debute
PACEMAKERS
(71) Paul Kimugul (Ken)
(72) Shadrack Hoff (RSA)
(73) Abeba Dinkessa (Eth)
(74) Larbi Zeroual (Fra)
(75) Francis Kiprop (Ken)
(76) Luka Keitany (Ken)
(77) Samuel Rongo (Ken)
(78) Jim Svenoy (Nor)
(81) Stefan v.d Broek (Bel)
(82) Hugo v.d. Broek (Ned)
(83) Gino van Geyte (Bel)
WOMEN
(F1) Renate Paradowska (Pol)
PB: 2.27.17 (2) Boston 20-04-1998
(F2) Kutre Dulecha (Eth)
PB: 2.32.29 (5) Hamburg 24-04-2005
(F3) Tigist Abidi (Eth)
PB : 2.33.01 (1) Enschede 08-05-2005
(F4) Kristyna Loonen (Ned)
PB: 2.33.28 (5) Rotterdam 10-04-2005
(F5) Annemarie Sandell (Fin)
PB: 2.35.12 (14) Boston 17-04-2000
(F6) Catherine Lallemand (Bel)
PB: 2.39.23 (1) Annecy 13-04-2003
(F7) Michelle Leservoisier (Fra)
PB: 2.38.11 (10) Paris 08-04-2001
(F8) Charlotte Dale (Gbr)
PB: debut
(F9) Renata Antropik (Pol)
PB : 2.45.00(8) Zurich 03-04-2005
(F10) Elaine Coburn (Can)
PB: 2.44.26 (3) Ottawa 13-05-2001
(F17) Sue Harrison (Gbr)
PB: 2.37.00 (2) Kosice 03-10-2004
