Marathon News - Gebrselassie Set to Return to Action in Vienna

Mar-16-2011

Gebrselassie Set to Return to Action in Vienna
by Chris Lotsbom
(c) Race Results Weekly, all rights reserved

(15-Mar) -- The Emporor is at it again. Ethiopia's Haile Gebrselassie, the two-time Olympic gold medalist and holder of 27 world records, will be returning to the roads April 17, at the Vienna City Half-Marathon, event organizers announced.

The 37 year-old Gebrselassie is coming off a knee injury suffered in a fall, which kept him out of the Tokyo Marathon last month.

"Recently Haile was able to start running again and he is confident that he can participate in the Vienna Half-Marathon as planned," said manager Jos Hermans in a release.

Thanks to cross and strength training, the current marathon world record holder was able to maintain his fitness post-injury.

The Vienna Marathon and Half-Marathon will also be a first-to-the-finish line competiton, dubbed the "Catche Me, If You Can" race. Elite athletes running the marathon will get a head start, and Gebrselassie will try and run down the leaders.

Gebrselassie has not competed since December 31, 2010, when he came out of retirement and won the Corrida de São Silvestre 10-K in Angola in 28:04.50.