The Emperor Is At It Again

 

 

 

 

Gebrselassie set to return to competition in Vienna.

Written by: Chris Lotsbom
(c) 2011 Race Results Weekly, all rights reserved. Used with permission.

The Emperor 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, an injury 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-training and strength work, 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 competition, dubbed the “Catch 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 10K in Angola in 28:04.50.