67 Facts About Haile Gebrselassie

Haile Gebrselassie is an Ethiopian former long-distance track, road running athlete, and businessman.

Haile Gebrselassie won two Olympic gold medals and four World Championship titles over the 10,000 metres.

Haile Gebrselassie earned four world titles indoors and was the 2001 World Half Marathon Champion.

Haile Gebrselassie is considered one of the greatest runners and by many the greatest long distance runner of all time.

Haile Gebrselassie had major competition wins at distances between 1,500 metres and the marathon, moving from outdoor, indoor and cross country running to road running in the latter part of his career.

Haile Gebrselassie broke 61 Ethiopian national records, ranging from 800 metres to the marathon, set 27 world records, and is regarded as one of the greatest long distance runners in history.

Haile Gebrselassie won the 2008 Berlin Marathon with a world record time of 2:03:59, breaking his own world record by 27 seconds.

Haile Gebrselassie was cited as one of the top 100 most influential Africans by New African in 2011.

Haile Gebrselassie was born one of ten children in Asella, Ethiopia.

In 1992, Haile Gebrselassie gained international recognition in Seoul, South Korea, when he won the 5000-metre and 10,000-metre races at the 1992 World Junior Championships and a silver medal in the junior race at the World Cross Country Championships held in Boston, the United States.

In 1995, Haile Gebrselassie ran the 10,000 metres in 26:43.53 in Hengelo, the Netherlands, lowering the world record by nine seconds.

That same summer, in Zurich, Switzerland, Haile Gebrselassie ran the 5000 metres in 12:44.39, taking 10.91 seconds off the world record 12:55.30.

In 1997, Haile Gebrselassie turned the tables on Komen at the same meet.

The next year, 1998, saw Haile Gebrselassie lowering the indoor world records for 2000 and 3000 metres, enjoying success outdoors by taking back both the 5000 and 10,000 metres world records, as well as earning a share in the Golden League jackpot for winning all of his races in the Golden League series that summer.

Just 13 days later, Haile Gebrselassie took on the 5000 metres mark of Komen in Helsinki, Finland.

In 1999, Haile Gebrselassie starred as himself in the movie Endurance.

In 2000, Haile Gebrselassie again won all of his races, ranking first in the world in both the 5000 and 10,000 metres.

Also in 2001, Haile Gebrselassie won the IAAF World half Marathon Championships and the bronze medal in the 10,000 metres at the 2001 World Championships in Athletics.

On 30 August 2003, Haile Gebrselassie topped the polls when elected as a member of the IAAF Athletes Commission.

Also in 2003, at the World Championships in Paris, Haile Gebrselassie was involved in one of the most remarkable 10,000 metres races of all time while gaining a silver medal behind countryman Kenenisa Bekele.

Haile Gebrselassie was unable to do so due to an injury; however, he finished fifth in a race won by his compatriot Kenenisa Bekele, who had broken both of Haile's major track world records, the 5000 metres and the 10,000 metres records.

Shortly before the Athens games, Haile Gebrselassie was unable to train for three weeks due to inflammation of his Achilles tendon.

Since leaving the track after the 2004 Olympics, Haile Gebrselassie has focused on road racing and the marathon.

In 2002, Haile Gebrselassie made his debut at the marathon at the London Marathon.

Haile Gebrselassie started the race at a very fast pace, within world record time.

Haile Gebrselassie was unable to hold it as world record holders Khalid Khannouchi and Paul Tergat both eventually passed him.

In 2005, Haile Gebrselassie went undefeated in all of his road races.

Haile Gebrselassie started 2006 positively on 15 January by setting his first world record on American soil.

Haile Gebrselassie ran the half marathon of the Rock 'n' Roll Arizona Marathon to beat Samuel Wanjiru 2005 record for the distance by a full 21 seconds with a time of 58 minutes and 55 seconds.

Haile Gebrselassie referred to the ninth-place finish as "the worst race of my career".

In London on 22 April 2007, Haile Gebrselassie challenged the 2006 London Marathon winner Felix Limo, 2005 London Marathon winner Martin Lel, 2004 Athens gold medalist Stefano Baldini, 2006 New York Marathon winner Marilson Gomes dos Santos, and the then marathon world record holder Paul Tergat in what organizers anticipated would be an exciting race.

However Haile Gebrselassie dropped out at the 18-mile stage complaining of a stitch and inability to breathe, which turned out to be an allergic reaction to the pollen in the air.

One month later, Haile Gebrselassie made a surprise return to the track for the first of two stadium races that summer.

Furthermore, Haile Gebrselassie covered 50 laps in 56:25.98, another world best, well within the previous 56:55.6 set by Barrios in 1991.

Haile Gebrselassie made his running 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 by two minutes.

Haile Gebrselassie lost his first half marathon in Den Haag, when he was beaten by Sammy Kitwara.

On 30 September 2007, Haile Gebrselassie won the Berlin Marathon in 2:04:26, setting the world record and shaving 29 seconds off Paul Tergat's record, set on the same course in 2003.

Haile Gebrselassie suffers from asthma and said that running in such conditions might be harmful to his health.

Haile Gebrselassie later admitted that he regretted the decision as the Beijing air was cleaner than expected.

Haile Gebrselassie won the Dubai Marathon on 16 January 2009 but fell short of breaking his own world record that he had set four months earlier on the flat course.

Haile Gebrselassie finished in 2:05:29, well ahead of countryman Deressa Chimsa.

Haile Gebrselassie attempted to break the world record he had set the previous year but, despite a quick start, warm conditions saw him finish in 2:06:08, two minutes away from his best mark.

Haile Gebrselassie did pass the 30-kilometer point in 1:27:49, which was a new world record for a road 30K.

Haile Gebrselassie's problems continued at the NYC Half Marathon, where he pulled up mid-race visibly uncomfortable in his running.

Haile Gebrselassie scored his third victory at the Great Manchester Run the following month, although he missed out on Micah Kogo's course record.

Haile Gebrselassie is mentor and ambassador for the G4S 4teen, a programme supporting 14 young athletes.

On 7 November, after dropping out of the 2010 New York City Marathon with an inflamed knee, Haile Gebrselassie announced his retirement.

Haile Gebrselassie had stated previously that after retiring he would like to enter politics, with scepticism from the public about his knowledge on politics and the unfamiliar culture of celebrities holding public office in Ethiopia.

Haile Gebrselassie missed the 2011 Tokyo Marathon due to an injury, but won the half marathon at the Vienna City Marathon on 17 April 2011.

About a month later Haile Gebrselassie easily won the Great Manchester Run in England for the fourth time, finishing in 28:10.

Haile Gebrselassie was absent from the press conference later that day, but his manager Jos Hermens announced that while it was "the end of an era of record-breaking for Haile Gebrselassie, it's not the end of his career".

Haile Gebrselassie was not selected for the Olympic marathon team, but after winning the Great Manchester Run with a fast time of 27:39, beating marathon world record holder Patrick Makau, world marathon leader Ayele Abshero and Olympic marathon medallist Tsegay Kebede, by a distance of over 100 metres, he decided to aim for a place in the 10,000 m race.

Haile Gebrselassie attempted to earn an Olympic spot at the Fanny Blankers-Koen Games in Hengelo, the stadium in which he had broken four world records.

On 14 April 2013, Haile Gebrselassie won the open field of the Vienna City half marathon with a time of 01:01.14.

Haile Gebrselassie set his first over-40 world record with a time of 46:59 for 10 miles in Switzerland, on 15 September 2013.

Haile Gebrselassie took 3rd overall in the 2013 BUPA Great North Run, 32 seconds behind the winner Kenenisa Bekele and 31 seconds behind the reigning Olympic and world champion Mo Farah.

Haile Gebrselassie has announced his retirement from competitive running after finishing 16th in the Great Manchester Run on Sunday 10 May 2015.

Haile Gebrselassie remains the world record holder in the 10-mile run.

Currently, Haile Gebrselassie is the former president of the Ethiopian Athletics Federation, has been selling Hyundai cars in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, since 2009, and cooperates with Hyundai for the Marathon Motors Engineering factory there which started assembling the electric Hyundai Ioniq in July 2020.

Haile Gebrselassie has become a small-lot coffee farmer in Ethiopia.

Haile Gebrselassie ventured into an entrepreneurship career in 1995, investing earnings from his sporting achievements that led to establishing companies.

In 2010, Haile Gebrselassie opened Haile Gebrselassie Resorts in Lake Hawassa, and the resort quickly expanded to include destinations in Amhara, Oromia, Southern Nations, Nationalities, and People's Region.

Haile Gebrselassie recently inaugurated the Grand Haile Resort in Addis Ababa headquartered in Lam Beret.

Haile Gebrselassie has a dealership for Hyundai cars in Ethiopia and started assembling Hyundai electric cars in 2020.

Haile Gebrselassie owned Marathon Motors, a vehicle business that assembles Hyundai cars, and which recently rolled off the first electric car from its assembly plant.

Haile Gebrselassie owned several businesses and is involved in real estate projects and owns four hotels, a coffee plantation.

Haile Gebrselassie currently received 30 million birr revenue from various businesses.