Posted: May 24, 2007

Athletics (RRW): Gebrselassie Returns To The Track In Hengelo

From David Monti © 2007 Race Results Weekly, all rights reserved RaceResultsWeekly.com Haile Gebrselassie will make an unexpected return to the track at Saturday's THALES FBK-Games in Hengelo, Netherlands, the track where the Ethiopian great previously set four world bests or records. Gebrselassie's last track race was the 2004 Olympic Games 10,000m final where he finished fifth. He turned to road running exclusively in 2005, and last ran in Hengelo three years ago. Gebrselassie will run the 10,000m in Hengelo, and he's doing his best to keep expectations modest. "Of course I am not so good any longer as I was at the end of the nineties as I broke world records, but Hengelo is my favourite race," he said through a media release. "I am training well. I have done training sessions on the track again. So came the idea to start Saturday in Hengelo. People must not expect that I will attack the world record. First thing I want is to race again on the track to feel the public and the atmosphere. If there is a possibility to win I will go for it." He'll face stiff competition in Hengelo from compatriots Sileshi Sihine, Gebregziabher Gebremariam, and Ali Abdosh, but not Kenenisa Bekele who, in Kenyan press reports, said he is still fatigued from the IAAF World Cross Country Championships. Kenyans Sammy Kipketer and Mark Bett are also entered, along with Abdi Abdirahman of the United States and Mohamed Amyn of Morocco. STATISTICAL SPOTLIGHT: World Bests and Records by Haile Gebrselassie at Hengelo: 2 Miles: 8:01.08, 31-May, 1997 5000m: 12:56.96, 04-Jun-1994 10,000m: 26:22.75, 01-Jun-1998; 26:43.53, 05-Jun-1995 Subscribe to the Runner's Web Weekly Digest