Beijing Olympic Games

Gebrselassie to run Berlin marathon in September

BERLIN, July 22 (Reuters) - Ethiopia’s Haile Gebrselassie will run the Berlin marathon in September for a third straight year after shattering the world record in the German capital last year, organisers said on Tuesday.

Gebrselassie’s time of 2 hours 4 minutes and 26 seconds eclipsed the previous record of 2:04.55 set by his friend and rival Paul Tergat of Kenya on the same Berlin course in 2003.

Gebrselassie decided not to run the Olympics marathon because of worries about the pollution in Beijing and will instead run the Berlin marathon on Sept. 28. He is expected, however, to take part in the 10,000m race in Beijing.

“I’ve got only positive feelings about Berlin,” Gebrselassie said in a statement released by Berlin marathon organsers.

“The crowds along the course cheering and the city itself, the weather, the course—this combination means I always feel good after going home from Berlin. Things went so well the last two years and I get to know the course better each time.”

Gebrselassie, who said he would like to run the 2012 Olympics marathon in London, just missed lowering his record in Dubai in February, falling 28 seconds short.

“I feel like I can keep improving and it’s great to have London 2012 as a goal to have in the back of my mind,” he said.

(Writing by Erik Kirschbaum, editing by Justin Palmer)