Gebrselassie returns to the top of Road Running in latest IAAF World Rankings

Monte-Carlo – Due to the lack of international competitions over the past fortnight, all the significant changes in latest IAAF World Rankings resulted from the Fukuoka International Marathon which took place on Sunday 3 December. The former four-time World and two-time Olympic 10,000m track champion Haile Gebrselassie (ETH) returned to the top of the Men’s Road Running – Marathon Event Ranking, a position he had held prior to World Road Running champion Zersenay Tadesse (ERI) overtaking him recently.

Gebrselassie won the Fukuoka International Marathon in Japan in an outstanding time of 2:06:52 (1364 points). Gebrselassie already owns the fastest time in the world in 2006 (2:05:56 – Berlin Marathon), and only that mark and those of four Kenyan runners – Sammy Korir, Felix Limo, Martin Lel and Paul Kirui – are faster this year than the 33-year-old’s run in Japan. The Fukuoka win allows Gebrselassie to comfortably overtake Tadesse and return to the top of the Event Ranking, and also move up in the Men’s Overall Ranking from 62nd to 27th.

The other significant change in the latest edition of the IAAF World Rankings belongs to Jaouad Gharib (MAR). The double World Marathon champion finished third behind the Ethiopian in Japan with 2:07:19 (1315 points), which is a mere 7 seconds outside of his personal best from London, 2004, and moves him up over thirty places to 17th in the Event Ranking.

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