The Record Breaker: Haile Gebrselassie

        Haile Gebrselassie, aka Gabe, is a retired distance runner from Ethiopia, considered globally as one of the greatest long-distance runners of all time. He holds a ground-breaking 61 Ethiopian national records, has set 27 world records and had won two Olympic golds. Born in Asella, Oromiya Region, Ethiopia as one of ten children, Haile used to run 10 kilometers a day between school and home. All this practice created a unique running posture -Haile runs with his left arm crooked as if he is still holding his schoolbooks. He said later that he was inspired by his countrymen – the marathon legend, Abebe Bikila and Olympic gold medalist Miruts Yifter. At age 19, Haile stormed into international stage by winning the 5,000- and 10,000-meters races at the 1992 World Junior Championships in Seoul, South Korea. He also medaled at the World Cross Country Championships held in Boston, USA. In 1993, he won the 10,000m at the Stuttgart World championships. Haile set his first World record in the 5,000m race in12:56.96 in Hengelo, Holland in 1994. In 1995, he broke the world record in the 2 miles race by clocking 8:07.46 and broke the 10,000m world record with the speed of 26:43.53. Haile won four consecutive London marathons and three Berlin marathons – at age 35, he won the Berlin Marathon with the world record time of 2:03:59. Not settling for a quiet retirement, he became a very successful businessman after his competitive running days. Long live, champion!

“I don’t like to miss my trainings. That’s my secret to success.”