Gebrselassie WR attempt in The Hague

The running legend Haile Gebrselassie wasn’t able to recapture the world record on this 35th edition of the half marathon in The Hague, the Netherlands. He also lost from the Kenyan Sammy Kitwara, who won this race in 59:47. With that time Wanjiru knocked 22 seconds off the time Haile Gebrselassie set in Phoenix on 15 January 2006. The WR in The Hague was out of reach because of cold, rain and wind. Gebrselassie knew already after 5 km, that his plans wouldn’t work out. He tried to stay after Kitwara, but in the end Kitwara had a second breathe and defeated Gebrselassie, who had a time of 59:49.

“It will be my first running of the City-Pier-City. I know The Netherlands very well. I know that road race courses here are mostly very flat and fast. The fact that Wanjiru broke my World record here is an extra motivation,” Gebrselassie said in a prepared statement. “It proves the course is very fast. From experience I know that the organisation of road races in The Netherlands is excellent.”

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