MANCHESTER - Ethiopian athletics legend Haile Gebrselassie won his third Great Manchester Run here yesterday with an electrifying final burst at the finish.
MANCHESTER - Ethiopian athletics legend Haile Gebrselassie won his third Great Manchester Run here yesterday with an electrifying final burst at the finish.
The 37-year-old two-time Olympic and quadruple world title winner timed 28min:2sec over the 10km course, finishing just over a minute behind the world record.
Spaniard Ayad Lamdessem pushed hard until the last stretch to finish second and Ukrainian veteran and eight-time European cross-country champion Sergiy Lebid was third.
Gebrselassie, who had been hoping to beat the record of 27:01 set by Kenyan Micah Kogo last year, had looked to be in trouble when Lebid blazed a trail early on, but he faded towards the business end of the contest.
"It was tough," Gebrselassie told the BBC.
"When I warmed up, it was cold. I didn't feel good and it was very tough and windy. But the atmosphere was fantastic."
Gebrselassie's compatriot Werknesh Kidane won the women's race. - Sapa-AFP
Gebrselassie leaves it till late
MANCHESTER - Ethiopian athletics legend Haile Gebrselassie won his third Great Manchester Run here yesterday with an electrifying final burst at the finish.
MANCHESTER - Ethiopian athletics legend Haile Gebrselassie won his third Great Manchester Run here yesterday with an electrifying final burst at the finish.
The 37-year-old two-time Olympic and quadruple world title winner timed 28min:2sec over the 10km course, finishing just over a minute behind the world record.
Spaniard Ayad Lamdessem pushed hard until the last stretch to finish second and Ukrainian veteran and eight-time European cross-country champion Sergiy Lebid was third.
Gebrselassie, who had been hoping to beat the record of 27:01 set by Kenyan Micah Kogo last year, had looked to be in trouble when Lebid blazed a trail early on, but he faded towards the business end of the contest.
"It was tough," Gebrselassie told the BBC.
"When I warmed up, it was cold. I didn't feel good and it was very tough and windy. But the atmosphere was fantastic."
Gebrselassie's compatriot Werknesh Kidane won the women's race. - Sapa-AFP