Haile ganó, hizo gran tiempo, pero no quebró récord (2:04:53)

Haile Gebrselassie ganando el maratón de Dubai 2008 (c) foto: IAAF

Transcribimos noticias "fresquitas" del maratón de Dubai (Emiratos Árabes):

Segundo registro de la historia para Gebreselassie en el Maratón de Dubai

DUBAI (AFP) — El etíope Haile Gebreselassie ganó este viernes el maratón de Dubai logrando el segundo mejor registro de la historia al quedar a 27 segundos de su propio récord del mundo, con un tiempo final de 2h04:53.

Gebreselassie, doble campeón olímpico de 10.000 metros (1996 y 2000), había establecido su récord del mundo el 30 de septiembre de 2007 en Berlín.

Para superar su récord, el etíope decidió partir rápido, en condiciones ideales (recorrido plano, temperatura fresca).

Pero el fondista y sus liebres siguieron un ritmo demasiado elevado, pasando la mitad de la carrera con un tiempo de 61 minutos y 27 segundos, con 61 segundos de ventaja sobre su base de récord del mundo.

"Quería pasar en 62 minutos a mitad de carrera", precisó 'Gebre'. "Lo pagué en los últimos kilómetros, pero estoy feliz con este registro. Todo debe ser perfecto (para batir el récord) y hoy me falló un pequeño detalle", añadió.

Sin liebre a partir del kilómetro 30, el 'negus' bajó el ritmo y tuvo que decir adiós al millón de dólares prometido en caso de récord del mundo y se consolará con un cheque de 250.000 dólares acordado al vencedor.

Esta marca confirma su estatuto de hombre más rápido de la distancia, pero no levanta las dudas sobre su capacidad de imponerse frente a una oposición mayor, a siete meses de los Juegos Olímpicos de Pekín.

Frente a los mejores especialistas, 'Gebre', de 34 años, se inclinó en tres ocasiones, en el maratón de Londres (tercero en 2002, noveno en 2006, abandono en 2007).

En categoría femenina, la etíope Berhane Adere, campeona del mundo de 10000 metros en 2003, se impuso con un tiempo de 2h22:42, delante de sus compatriotas Bezunesh Bekele y Askale Tafa Magarsa.


Foto: AFP

Añadimos el primer artículo (en inglés) de la IAAF:

Second fastest of all time for Gebre in Dubai Marathon

Haile Gebrselassie ran the second fastest marathon in history, 2.04.53, to win the Standard Chartered Dubai Marathon on Friday morning, but a suicidal early tempo by the Ethiopian and his pacemakers ruined any chance he had of breaking his own World record of 2.04.26, set in Berlin three months ago.

The weather was perfect for marathoners, global warming, or in the Gulf, global cooling kept the 7am start temperature down to 11C, rising to just 14C at the finish, with little wind.

Suicidal early pace

Already at 10km in 28.39, Gebrselassie was 45 seconds up on the Berlin pace, and at halfway in 61.27, that advantage had stretched to 61 seconds, positing a potential finishing time of well under 2.03. Since Gebreselassie himself had suggested that 2.03 was his limit, he had in effect predicted his own demise. As it proved, although he maintained his advance on a new World mark until 35km, when he still had 25 seconds in hand.

But the last pacemaker, Abel Kirui of Kenya had dropped out at 30km, and the pace itself was dropping inexorably. The million dollars for a new record, offered by Dubai Holding, evaporated before 40km, and in the end the 34-year-old Ethiopian was 27 seconds shy of his record.


Haile Gebrselassie in action in the Dubai Marathon (c)

Nevertheless, he had consolidated his position as the world’s best marathoner, and current most prolific record breaker (24 at last count), and today’s effort won him the biggest prize in marathon history, $250,000.

Isaac Macharia of Kenya came through to take second place in a personal best 2.07.16, and Sammy Korir, still the third fastest man in history (2.04.56 in Berlin 2003) was third in 2.08.01.

Gerbrselassie conceded that the start was too fast, “I wanted to do 62 minutes for halfway, and I paid the price in the final stages, but I’m happy to run this time. You know, everything needs to be perfect, and today, I missed one little thing.”

Adere sprints away


Berhane Adere celebrates winning the 2008 Dubai Marathon (c)

The women’s race was far more competitive, and also fast in the early stages, though not in the same register as Gebrselassie. Seven women were still together at halfway in 70 minutes, but similarly, class told in the end. Berhane Adere ran away in the last few kilometres, to win in 2.22.40, less than two minutes outside her Ethiopian women’s record of 2.20.42, set in Chicago 2006. She too won $250,000.

Her colleague, Bezunesh Bekele made one of the fastest marathon debuts in history, finishing second in 2.23.09, and defending champion, Askale Magarska was third, in 2.23.23, also a personal best.

There were some big name drop-outs. World Cross and Half-Marathon champion, Lornah Kiplagat of the Netherlands dropped out just after halfway with the recurrence of a calf problem, and Olivera Jevtic of Serbia lasted until 30km when stomach problems forced her out.

Pat Butcher for the IAAF

Resultados

Men
1 Gebrselassie, Haile ETH 2:04:53 250,000
2 Macharia, Isaac KEN 2:07:16 100,000
3 Korir, Sammy KEN 2:08:01 50,000
4 Kudama, Gudisa Shentema ETH 2:09:27 25,000
5 Tesfaye Tola ETH 2:09:38 15,000
6 Kipkoech, Raymond KEN 2:09:39 14,000
7 Chisma, Deressa ETH 2:10:16 13,000
8 Fikadu, Asnake ETH 2:11:04 12,000
9 Gashaw Melese ETH 2:12:03 11,000
10 Rotich, William Todo KEN 2:12:20 10,000

Women
1 Adere, Birhane ETH 2:22:42 250,000
2 Bezunesh Bekele ETH 2:23:09 100,000
3 Magarsa, Askale Tafa ETH 2:23:23 50,000
4 Cheruiyot, Rose Jelagat KEN 2:25:48 25,000
5 Chelengat, Alice KEN 2:27:29 15,000
6 Roba, Asha Gigi ETH 2:28:24 14,000
7 Gemechu, Shitaye ETH 2:30:20 13,000
8 Tola, Roba Guta ETH 2:33:44 12,000
9 Teka, Kidst ETH 2:35:58 11,000
10 Kimani, Lucia KEN 2:37:37 10,000