Haile Gebrselassie facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Haile Gebrselassie

Haile in 2012
Personal information
Citizenship	Ethiopian
Born	(1973-04-18) 18 April 1973 (age 52) Asella, Arsi Province, Ethiopian Empire
Height	1.64 m (5 ft 5 in)
Weight	54 kg (119 lb)
Spouse(s)	Alem Gebrselassie ​ (m. 1996)​
Sport
Country	Ethiopia
Sport	Athletics/Track, Long-distance running
Event(s)	10,000 metres, 5000 metres, 3000 metres, 1500 metres, Half marathon, Marathon
Club	Adidas
Retired	May 2015
Achievements and titles
World finals	1993 Stuttgart 5000 m, 2 Silver 10,000 m, 1 Gold 1995 Gothenburg 10,000 m, 1 Gold 1997 Athens 10,000 m, 1 Gold 1999 Seville 10,000 m, 1 Gold 2001 Edmonton 10,000 m, 3 Bronze 2003 Paris 10,000 m, 2 Silver
Olympic finals	1996 Atlanta 10,000 m, 1 Gold 2000 Sydney 10,000 m, 1 Gold 2004 Athens 10,000 m, 5th 2008 Beijing 10,000 m, 6th
Personal best(s)	1500 m: 3:33.73 (Stuttgart 1999) Mile: 3:52.39 (Gateshead 1999) 3000 m: 7:25.09 (Brussels 1998) 2 miles: 8:01.08 NBP (Hengelo 1997) 5000 m: 12:39.36 (Helsinki 1998) 10,000 m: 26:22.75 (Hengelo 1998) Indoors 800 m: 1:49.35i (Dortmund 1997) 1500 m: 3:31.76i (Stuttgart 1998) 2000 m: 4:52.86i (Birmingham 1998) 3000 m: 7:26.15i (Karlsruhe 1998) 2 miles: 8:04.69i (Birmingham 2003) 5000 m: 12:50.38i (Birmingham 1999) Road 10 km: 27:02 (Doha 2002) 10 miles: 44:24 (Tilburg 2005) Half marathon: 58:55 (Tempe 2006) Marathon: 2:03:59 (Berlin 2008)
Medal record Representing  Ethiopia Event 1st 2nd 3rd Olympic Games 2 0 0 World Championships 4 2 1 World Indoor Championships 4 0 0 African Championships 0 1 1 World Cross Country Championships 0 0 1 Total 10 3 3 Olympic Games Gold 2000 Sydney 10,000 m Gold 1996 Atlanta 10,000 m World Championships Gold 1999 Seville 10,000 m Gold 1997 Athens 10,000 m Gold 1995 Gothenburg 10,000 m Gold 1993 Stuttgart 10,000 m Silver 2003 Paris 10,000 m Silver 1993 Stuttgart 5000 m Bronze 2001 Edmonton 10,000 m World Indoor Championships Gold 2003 Birmingham 3000 m Gold 1999 Maebashi 1500 m Gold 1999 Maebashi 3000 m Gold 1997 Paris 3000 m African Championships Silver 1993 Durban 5000 m Bronze 1993 Durban 10,000 m World Cross Country Championships Silver 1992 Boston Junior race Bronze 1994 Budapest Senior race Bronze 1994 Budapest Senior team World Half Marathon Championships Gold 2001 Bristol Individual Gold 2001 Bristol Team World Junior Championships Gold 1992 Seoul 5000 m Gold 1992 Seoul 10,000 m

Haile Gebrselassie, born on April 18, 1973, is a famous Ethiopian runner. He is known as one of the greatest long-distance runners ever. Haile won two Olympic gold medals and four World Championship titles in the 10,000 metres race.

He also won the Berlin Marathon four times in a row. He had three straight wins at the Dubai Marathon. Haile also earned four world titles in indoor running events. In 2001, he became the World Half Marathon Champion.

Haile was amazing at many distances, from 1,500 metres to the marathon. He broke 61 Ethiopian national records. He also set 27 world records during his career. In 2008, he set a new world record for the marathon in Berlin. His time was 2 hours, 3 minutes, and 59 seconds. This record lasted for three years.

Many people call him the "Emperor of Distance Running." Besides his sports achievements, Haile is also a successful businessman. He has helped his home country, Ethiopia, grow. In 2011, New African magazine named him one of the top 100 most important Africans.

Haile Gebrselassie's Early Life and Career

Growing Up in Ethiopia

Haile was born in Asella, Ethiopia. He was one of ten children in his family. As a child, he lived on a farm. Every morning, he ran ten kilometers to school. He ran the same distance back home each evening.

This daily running gave him a special running style. His left arm was bent, as if he was still holding his school books. Haile's mother passed away from cancer when he was six years old.

First Big Wins

In 1992, Haile became known around the world. He won two races in Seoul, South Korea. These were the 5000-metre and 10,000-metre races. He also won a silver medal at the World Cross Country Championships in Boston, USA.

The next year, 1993, Haile won his first world championship. This was in the men's 10,000 metres. He would go on to win this title four times in a row. His win in 1993 was very memorable. He accidentally stepped on another runner's shoe, Moses Tanui, causing it to fall off. Even with Tanui ahead, Haile caught up and won.

He also finished second in the 5,000-metre race in 1993. In 1994, he won a bronze medal at the World Cross Country Championships. Later that year, he set his first world record. He ran the 5,000 metres in 12 minutes, 56.96 seconds. This broke the old record by almost two seconds.

Setting New Records

In 1995, Haile broke the 10,000 metres world record. He ran it in 26 minutes, 43.53 seconds in Hengelo, Netherlands. This lowered the record by nine seconds. That same summer, in Zürich, Switzerland, he broke the 5000 metres world record. He finished in 12 minutes, 44.39 seconds. This was 10.91 seconds faster than the old record.

His 5000 metres world record in Zürich was named "Performance of the Year" for 1995. In 1996, Haile won the Olympic 10,000 metres gold medal in Atlanta. In 1997, he broke his own 5000 metres world record again. He ran it in 12 minutes, 41.86 seconds in Zürich.

Haile Gebrselassie's Middle Career Success

More World Records

In 1998, Haile continued to break records. He set new indoor world records for 2000 and 3000 metres. Outdoors, he took back the 5000 and 10,000 metres world records. He also won all his races in the Golden League series that summer.

In June 1998, in Hengelo, Netherlands, Haile set a new 10,000 metres world record. His time was 26 minutes, 22.75 seconds. Just 13 days later, he broke the 5000 metres world record in Helsinki, Finland. He ran it in 12 minutes, 39.36 seconds.

Haile (second, in green) on the way to becoming two-time 10,000 m Olympic champion in Sydney in 2000

Olympic Gold and Beyond

In 1999, Haile appeared as himself in the movie Endurance. The film showed his journey to win Olympic gold in Atlanta. On the track, he won two indoor world titles. He also defended his 10,000 metres world title outdoors. He was undefeated in all his races that year.

In 2000, Haile won all his races again. He was ranked first in the world for both 5000 and 10,000 metres. At the 2000 Sydney Olympics, he made history. He became only the third man to win two Olympic 10,000 metres titles in a row. He won by a tiny margin of 0.09 seconds.

In 2001, Haile ran his first half marathon and won. He also won the World Half Marathon Championships. He earned a bronze medal in the 10,000 metres at the World Championships. That same year, he helped create the Great Ethiopian Run.

Haile in New York in 2003

In 2003, Haile was chosen to be part of the IAAF Athletes Commission. At the World Championships in Paris that year, he won a silver medal in the 10,000 metres. This race was one of the most exciting ever. The last half of the race was run incredibly fast.

At the 2004 Athens Olympics, Haile hoped to win his third straight Olympic 10,000 metres gold. However, he had an injury and finished fifth. His countryman, Kenenisa Bekele, won the race. Bekele had also broken Haile's 5000 and 10,000 metres world records. Haile's injury meant he couldn't train well for three weeks. He still competed because his country wanted him to.

Haile Gebrselassie's Later Career and Retirement

Focusing on Marathons

After the 2004 Olympics, Haile started focusing on road races and marathons. In 2002, he ran his first marathon in London. He started very fast but couldn't keep the pace. He finished third, while another runner broke the world record.

Haile shortly before winning the 2005 Amsterdam Marathon

In 2005, Haile won all his road races. He set a new record for 10K in Manchester. He also won the Amsterdam Marathon. This was the fastest marathon time in the world for 2006. He also set a new world best for 10 miles in Tilburg, Netherlands.

In 2006, Haile set his first world record in the United States. He ran the half marathon in Arizona in 58 minutes, 55 seconds. This broke the old record by 21 seconds. He also broke the 20K record during that race. Later that year, he won the Berlin Marathon with a very fast time. He also won the Fukuoka Marathon in Japan.

In 2007, Haile tried to run the London Marathon again. But he had to drop out because of an allergic reaction to pollen. One month later, he set two more world records in the "one hour run" and 20,000 metres in Ostrava, Czech Republic. These were his 23rd and 24th world records.

On September 30, 2007, Haile won the Berlin Marathon. He set a new world record of 2 hours, 4 minutes, and 26 seconds. This was 29 seconds faster than the previous record. This win was celebrated during the Ethiopian Millennium.

Beijing Olympics and Final Records

Before the 2008 Dubai Marathon, Haile's manager thought he could run even faster. Haile won the race in 2 hours, 4 minutes, and 53 seconds. This was the second-fastest marathon ever at that time.

Haile decided not to run the marathon at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. He has asthma and was worried about the air pollution. He later said he regretted this choice. He did run the 10,000 metres race, finishing sixth. His countryman, Kenenisa Bekele, won the gold.

The next month, on September 28, 2008, Haile won the Berlin Marathon again. He broke his own world record by 27 seconds. His new record was 2 hours, 3 minutes, and 59 seconds.

Haile competing at the FBK Games in Hengelo in 2009

In 2009, Haile won the Dubai Marathon again. He also won the Berlin Marathon for the fourth time in a row. He set a new world record for the 30-kilometer road race during this marathon.

During an interview in New York in 2010

In 2010, he won the Dubai Marathon for the third time. He also won the Great Manchester Run for the third time. He then won the Great North Run, a half marathon. Haile is also a mentor for young athletes.

Retirement from Competitive Running

On November 7, 2010, Haile announced he was retiring. This was after he dropped out of the 2010 New York City Marathon due to a knee injury. A few days later, he said he was thinking about running in the 2012 London Olympics. He had also said he wanted to go into politics after retiring.

Haile at the Vienna City Marathon in 2011

Haile won his first race back, a 10K road race in Angola. He missed the 2011 Tokyo Marathon due to injury. But he won the half marathon at the Vienna City Marathon in April 2011. A month later, he won the Great Manchester Run for the fourth time.

In September 2011, he dropped out of the Berlin Marathon. He had breathing problems from exercise-induced asthma. His world records for 30 kilometers and the marathon were broken by Patrick Makau. His manager said it was "the end of an era of record-breaking for Haile, but not the end of his career."

In 2012, Haile ran the Tokyo Marathon and finished fourth. He then won the Vienna Half Marathon. He was not chosen for the Olympic marathon team. However, he did carry the Olympic flag at the opening ceremony.

On April 14, 2013, Haile won the Vienna City half marathon. He set his first world record for runners over 40 years old. This was for 10 miles in Switzerland. He finished third in the 2013 BUPA Great North Run.

Haile announced his retirement from competitive running on May 10, 2015. This was after finishing 16th in the Great Manchester Run. His career lasted 25 years. He won two Olympic gold medals, eight World Championship victories, and set 27 world records. He said, "I'm retiring from competitive running, not from running. You cannot stop running, this is my life."

Haile still holds the world record for the 10-mile run. He is the former president of the Ethiopian Athletic Federation. He also sells Hyundai cars in Ethiopia. He has a factory that assembles electric Hyundai cars. He is also a small-lot coffee farmer in Ethiopia.

Haile Gebrselassie's Business Career

Haile Gebrselassie started his business career in 1995. He invested the money he earned from running. This led him to create several companies. He has employed many people over the years.

In 2010, Haile opened Haile Resorts in Lake Hawassa. These resorts quickly grew to include other places in Ethiopia. He recently opened the Grand Haile Resort in Addis Ababa. Haile also has a dealership for Hyundai cars in Ethiopia. In 2020, he started assembling Hyundai electric cars there.

Haile owns Marathon Motors Engineering, which assembles Hyundai cars. He also has real estate projects and owns four hotels. He also owns a coffee plantation. In 2015, his businesses employed about 1,000 people. This number grew to 3,000 across his investments in Ethiopia.

Achievements

International Competitions

Representing  Ethiopia

Year	Competition	Venue	Position	Event	Result
1991	World Cross Country Championships	Antwerp, Belgium	8th	Junior race (8.415 km)	24:23
			2nd	Team	26 pts
1992	World Cross Country Championships	Boston, MA, United States	2nd	Junior race (7.8 km)	23:35
			2nd	Team	28 pts
	World Junior Championships	Seoul, South Korea	1st	5000 m	13:36.06
			1st	10,000 m	28:03.99
1993	World Cross Country Championships	Amorebieta, Spain	7th	Senior race (11.75 km)	33:23
			2nd	Team	82 pts
	African Championships	Durban, South Africa	2nd	5000 m	13:10.41
			3rd	10,000 m	27:30.17
	World Championships	Stuttgart, Germany	2nd	5000 m	13:03.17
			1st	10,000 m	27:46.02
1994	World Cross Country Championships	Budapest, Hungary	3rd	Senior race (12.02 km)	34:32
			3rd	Team	133 pts
	World Road Relay Championships	Litochoro, Greece	2nd	Marathon relay	1:58:51
1995	World Cross Country Championships	Durham, England	4th	Senior race (12.02 km)	34:26
			5th	Team	169 pts
	World Championships	Gothenburg, Sweden	—	5000 m	DNS
			1st	10,000 m	27:12.95
1996	World Cross Country Championships	Stellenbosch, South Africa	5th	Senior race (12.15 km)	34:28
			3rd	Team	107 pts
	Olympic Games	Atlanta, GA, United States	—	5000 m	DNS
			1st	10,000 m	27:07.34
1997	World Indoor Championships	Paris, France	1st	3000 m	7:34.71
	World Championships	Athens, Greece	1st	10,000 m	27:24.58
1999	World Indoor Championships	Maebashi, Japan	1st	1500 m	3:33.77
			1st	3000 m	7:53.57
	World Championships	Seville, Spain	1st	10,000 m	27:57.27
2000	Olympic Games	Sydney, Australia	1st	10,000 m	27:18.20
2001	World Championships	Edmonton, Canada	3rd	10,000 m	27:54.41
	World Half Marathon Championships	Bristol, England	1st	Half marathon	1:00:03
			1st	Team	3:00:31
2003	World Indoor Championships	Birmingham, England	1st	3000 m	7:40.97
	World Championships	Paris, France	2nd	10,000 m	26:50.77
2004	Olympic Games	Athens, Greece	5th	10,000 m	27:27.70
2008	Olympic Games	Beijing, China	6th	10,000 m	27:06.68

Marathon Performances

Representing  Ethiopia

Year	Competition	Venue	Position	Result
2002	London Marathon	London, United Kingdom	3rd	2:06:35
2005	Amsterdam Marathon	Amsterdam, Netherlands	1st	2:06:20
2006	London Marathon	London, United Kingdom	9th	2:09:05
	Berlin Marathon	Berlin, Germany	1st	2:05:56
	Fukuoka Marathon	Fukuoka, Japan	1st	2:06:52
2007	London Marathon	London, United Kingdom	—	DNF
	Berlin Marathon	Berlin, Germany	1st	2:04:26 WR
2008	Dubai Marathon	Dubai, United Arab Emirates	1st	2:04:53
	Berlin Marathon	Berlin, Germany	1st	2:03:59 WR
2009	Dubai Marathon	Dubai, United Arab Emirates	1st	2:05:29
	Berlin Marathon	Berlin, Germany	1st	2:06:08
2010	Dubai Marathon	Dubai, United Arab Emirates	1st	2:06:09
	New York City Marathon	New York, NY, United States	—	DNF
2011	Berlin Marathon	Berlin, Germany	—	DNF
2012	Tokyo Marathon	Tokyo, Japan	4th	2:08:17
	Fukuoka Marathon	Fukuoka, Japan	—	DNF

Track and Field Circuit

Representing  Ethiopia

Year	Competition	Venue	Position	Event	Notes
1995	Grand Prix Final	Monte Carlo, Monaco	10th	3000 m
1998	Golden League	Europe	1st	Jackpot winner	Shared with Hicham El Guerrouj and Marion Jones
1998	Grand Prix Final	Moscow, Russia	1st	3000 m

World Records and Best Performances

Personal Best Times

Filmography

Images for kids

• 

  Haile in 2012

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  Haile (second, in green) on the way to becoming two-time 10,000 m Olympic champion in Sydney in 2000

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  Haile in New York in 2003

• 

  Haile shortly before winning the 2005 Amsterdam Marathon

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  Haile competing at the FBK Games in Hengelo in 2009

• 

  During an interview in New York in 2010

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  Haile at the Vienna City Marathon in 2011

See also

In Spanish: Haile Gebrselassie para niños